Corrupted Blood
by LowFlyer1080
Summary: DuVista, OCxValera, AU of a series by Racethewind10 and sinjenkai. A mysterious new recruit is brought to the MDPD Crime Lab to help solve a baffling murder. One so brutal and out of this world, it will leave Calleigh and Natalia's lives changed forever.
1. Preamble

**Corrupted Blood**

**Author's Note to Readers:**

By: LowFlyer1080

This is my first attempt at a Calleigh/Natalia (DuVista) fic, and first attempt at a CSI Miami fic. It is an AU fic to a series by a writer named sinjenkai, beginning after her Questions story as if Choices had not occurred. Her series started after having read Need, Fulfillment, and Investigations by another author, racethewind10. I've read those three stories, as well as all of sinjenkai's stories. You need not have read Investigations and the other stories from sinjenkai, however some things in this story will make MUCH more sense if you do (plus her stories are really amazing, so check them out! Need and Fulfillment I have learned have been taken down unfortunately. If you cannot find the other stories here, then go to www dot ralst dot com slash storiesCSIM dot html. Racethewind10 I know has her stories up here on fanfiction dot net, however I'm not sure how many of sinjenkai's are posted here, if any are at all.

This story has been in the works for a long time, having been written by hand on pocket notepads before being typed up on the computer. The first chapter is about three pad's worth of material. I have another four that I have written with a fifth almost full that I still need to get typed up.

_**DISCLAIMER:**_ I don't own CSI Miami. I also don't own Belldandy, Urd, or Skuld or their personalities. I merely borrowed them for use as computer programs. I do however own Jonathan Edrins, Ocedon, The Collector, and anything pertaining to those 3 characters.


	2. Chapter 1

_August 17, 1809, Iowa Territory_

As a child is brought into the world, an object falls through the sky. A blazing streak of light tearing across the heavens like a meteor as it enters the atmosphere. Little known to the newborn son of Mr. and Mrs. David Edrins, his destiny was intertwined with the entity contained within the object. And the rest of his life would be forever changed. Little would he know that as he grew up into a young man that his parents were proud of, that the fate of the entire world would rest heavily upon his shoulders.

**Corrupted Blood**

By: LowFlyer1080

_August 17, 1834, Iowa Territory, forest outside Iowa City_

At what first had started out as lying low and silent, hidden among thick foliage waiting for deer, became lying low and silent to avoid detection as a man crashed through the underbrush, tripping and falling to the ground in a small clearing not more than forty yards from where Jonathan lie concealed with his hunting rifle. Soon the sounds of another person approaching sent the man on the ground scrambling backward as an apparition appeared. The sheer look of the second man's eyes sent the blood in Jonathan's veins running cold.

"Tell me where the device is, and I promise it will be quick." The man drew a gun, taking aim.

"There will be others after me who will bring you to justice, coward!"

"You speak of justice? Of cowardice? I will show you the justice of the grave, and the true meaning of fear."

Jonathan, not one to let a defenseless man be killed, but not wanting to reveal himself either, slowly took aim, sighting the man's chest down the barrel of his rifle through the dense foliage; his heart and nerves strangely calm, breathing even.

"You may as well kill me now. I'll never tell you, traitor!"

"You might not, however your blood can."

Something in the way the man spoke gave Jonathan pause, his finger ceasing to move against the trigger. What happened next, however, made his body freeze. The man on the ground began screaming as the other one stretched his arm out, palm up and fingers curled. A red mist slowly seeped through the clothes of the screaming and helpless man as he writhed in agony. The mist condensed into a liquid ball, floating over the outstretched hand of the other man.

"That's right. You had forgotten. The symbiote's memory is stored in your blood, along with a copy of your own. A pity really, since you need your blood to live, and this little procedure will leave you without a single drop." He laughed as the ball grew larger and the other man's struggles became progressively weaker.

'_You must act fast if you are to save me! It is too late for my host, but not for me! He must not find the device!'_ A voice spoke in Jonathan's head, snapping him out of the shock he had been in.

'_Who are you? What is going on here? What kind of devil's work is this?'_ he thought back.

'_I will explain later! Stop him!_'

Jonathan wasted no time. Sighting down the barrel of his rifle at the man's chest, lining up the beads on the man's heart, he calmly squeezed the trigger. It was a moment in his life he would never forget. The first time he had ever used a firearm against another human being. Little did he realize that it would not be the last time, nor was it a normal human. The loud crack of the large caliber rifle split the eerie calm of the forest, the recoil driving the stock into his shoulder as the shot hit its mark. The man fell to the ground with a thud, the red ball of blood hanging in the now still air as the mist continued to flow into it. Jonathan lie concealed still, under the foliage as comprehension at what had just transpired sank in. The voice broke through again, as the mist stopped, the man lying unmoving on the forest floor.

'_Your shot won't last long. His own symbiote will be repairing the damage as we speak. It's too late for my host now, he's dead and I've not much time left.'_

'_What do I have to do?'_

'_I must bond his blood with you. It is the only way for my knowledge to survive.'_ The voice replied, _'The blood has been completely drained, and me along with it. It is too late for Eirik now. Grab the orb quickly and run!_'

Jonathan sprinted forward, his rifle still trained at the man he had shot. Reaching out, the orb flashed as he grabbed hold, some sort of invisible physical container encasing the blood. Tucking it under his arm, he took off in a dead sprint through the forest.

'_We must find some place to hide quickly. I don't have much time left.'_ The voice said again. _'You are very brave for helping me when you don't fully understand what is going on.'_

"It's something my father taught me." He replied, slipping quietly through the forest. "Can whoever that was track us?"

'_Many things Ocedon is, a tracker is not one of them. Thank the deities for small favors.'_

Jonathan made his way down an incline into a small gully with a shallow stream in it. He quickly took to the water, moving upstream not wanting to take any chances in case the man had a dog.

'_Hurry. There is not much time left to do the transfer.'_

"How much time do you have?"

'_Only a few minutes. Stop here and I will start the transfer. I must let you know however, that this will have a severe impact on your life as you know it. The side effects will be something you will have to accept willingly and even I myself will not know all the repercussions you may or may not suffer because of it. I will not force this upon you.'_

"Will you be able to join with me and guide me?"

'_I regret to inform you that it is too late for me to save myself. However, you will have access to all my knowledge and experience to draw upon. You will be on your own until help can arrive. I don't have time to explain it, but they will be able to find you when that time comes. Can you accept that?'_

There was a pause as Jonathan stared at the red orb in his hands, a swirl of something…something not quite normal. Instinct told him not malicious but extremely primal. The words came again.

'_Can you accept that?'_

"Yes."

* * *

_Present Day: Miami, Florida; Miami-Dade PD Crime Lab_

"I just don't understand it. Why's H bringing in another person?" Eric Delko asked irritably as he sat in the break room with Ryan and Calleigh. It had taken some time, but he was finally getting over the recent marriage between Calleigh Duquesne and the lab's DNA specialist, Natalia Boa Vista. He had pulled them aside and apologized for his actions at the wedding.

"I don't know. We've all been doing our jobs and I really can't believe that one of us is getting canned." Ryan stated. "That's just not something Horatio would do. We've been through too much together. Especially you and Natalia, what with getting shot, the whole Stetler business and then Jethro's madness."

"There must be some reason behind it." Calleigh replied just as her wife walked through the door, instantly making a smile come to her face. "Hey Talia."

"Hey Calleigh." She replied with her own smile, holding up a file. "The personnel file that we can access on our new friend that is arriving today." She tossed it onto the table and went to grab a cup of coffee as Eric swiped the folder.

"As long as he does his job, I don't care." Calleigh stated, sliding the chair out next to her for Natalia to sit.

"I don't know Calleigh. If what's in there is true, then something isn't right here." The brunette replied as she sat, watching Eric open the folder to browse the contents with Ryan reading over his shoulder.

"What do you mean, babe?" the blond ballistics expert asked, her hand and arm around the DNA tech's shoulders. Natalia merely nodded at Eric who began reading.

"Jonathan Edrins. Says here he grew up in Iowa, small town called Victoria. Graduated from Victoria Community High School number one in his class. 4.0 GPA." Eric started.

"So he's smart?" Alexx Woods, their medical examiner spoke up.

"Oh it gets better." Natalia huffed a near laugh.

Eric continued, "Says here he joined the Marine Corp straight out of high school at age 18, graduated from the academy number one in his class with full honors, qualified scout sniper. Four year tour of duty, never failed to complete a mission, never failed to neutralize a target."

Calleigh's brow furrowed at that. One of her exes was a retired scout sniper and even he wasn't that good.

"Retired early from the Corp. Honorably discharged. Went to college, got a degree in Criminal Justice. Somehow managed to talk the dean into allowing him to TRIPLE major?" Eric exclaimed, "4.0 GPA master's degrees in physics, biology, and computer information systems. Certified in ballistics, DNA, and computer forensics. Started work with Cedar Rapids Police Department. Transferred to Des Moines after two years at CRPD, been at DMPD for four years."

"Damn. This guy ain't smart, he's a genius." Ryan said.

"Oh, there's still more." Natalia replied, "This guy's a bloodhound."

Eric scanned further but Ryan beat him to the chase.

"Holy shit. He's got a one hundred percent conviction rate. Every case he's been given or participated in, he's solved."

"I don't believe it." Eric said, flipping further into the file.

"Believe it, Eric." Came a whiskey smooth voice from the open doorway.

"With all due respect H, what the heck is going on?" he replied, turning in his seat to face his boss.

Horatio Caine pulled his sunglasses off, favoring his team with a sideways glance.

"Mr. Edrins applied for a transfer. Special request from DMPD. My hands are tied on this one but from what I've heard, he will make a good addition to the family." Came the reply, "Perhaps too good."

"Horatio?" Ryan questioned.

"In all my years on the force and in all the things I've seen, not once have I ever seen a record like his. Especially for one so young."

Calleigh picked up on where her boss was headed. "You think there might be something more to him than what his file is showing us?"

"Two previous secret investigations have turned up nothing. I'm hoping, along with his former superiors, that the third one is a charm." He replied.

Just then, their conversation was interrupted.

"Horatio." Called a familiar Texan voice. Detective Frank Tripp walked up to his boss. "Your latest recruit is about to make his grand appearance."

"How do you know that?" Alexx asked from her spot at the table.

"Just came over the radio. He called in, said he's ETA 30 seconds."

"Well then. Let's go greet him." The lieutenant replied, sliding his shades on and walking past the burly detective.

The rest of them followed close behind on their boss' heels. They made their way down through the lab and outside to the street just in time to see and hear a very strange motorcycle round the end of the block and pick up speed as it bore down on the seven CSIs. A distinct and odd hum came from the machine heard over its sportsbike exhaust. The sweeping, angled frame sported four headlights, two low to the ground, two up and center like on most regular motorcycles. The black clad rider's face and head were concealed by the full facial helmet and tinted visor he wore.

"Is that what I think it is?" Ryan questioned as he looked toward the machine as it drew closer.

"If you think it's a tank tread, then yes it is, honey." The coroner piped up.

Indeed, as the rider curved the vehicle around to a stop parallel to the curb, the bike turned out to not be a bike at all. Instead, a bright yellow, menacingly-shaped body wrapped over what appeared to be a rubber tank tread, which explained the unusual hum they had heard from the impact of the tread on the pavement. As the engine fell silent, the tinted-visor helmet turned and looked at the group. The black-clad rider dismounted and stepped around to lean on the right side of his machine, his arms crossed in front of him. Underneath his jacket something caught the light of the Miami sun, flashing as it reflected the light. It was his police badge. Calleigh took note of the two holsters strapped to the outsides of his thighs, up close to his hips the distinct grip and hammer indicating their make.

"Awfully big holsters you're carrying there. Since when were officers issued two side arms?" Calleigh broke the silence, staring the man down.

Six pairs of eyes drifted in her direction as the man's helmeted head slowly turned to face her as well.

"Also didn't know that Desert Eagles were police issue either." She continued, "Don't see too many of them around. Kind of an exotic weapon as far as law enforcement goes."

A silence followed before a muffled voice finally broke it.

"Going for three out of three, Detective?" The voice was low and smooth, sounding almost dangerous in its deadly calm.

"Three out of three meaning the .50 caliber Action Express in your guns?"

Slowly, hands moved up to grip the helmet, pulling it off to reveal defined facial features, a well groomed goatee, a short cut, straight brown hair style, fierce pale green eyes, and a determined and serious expression on his face.

"Your reputation precedes you, Mrs. DuVista." He spoke.

"How do you know her last name?" Horatio questioned.

The man turned his eyes onto the lieutenant. "Same way you know me. Personnel files."

Looking at each one of them in the eyes, he addressed them each by name before returning to the red-haired lieutenant. "Frank Tripp. Alexx Woods. Ryan Wolfe. Calleigh and Natalia DuVista. Eric Delko."

"Jonathan Edrins." The CSI day shift supervisor stated.

"Horatio Caine."

"Welcome to Miami-Dade."

A quirk of an eyebrow and a nod of his head was all the acknowledgement he gave.

"Shall we? I'm sure you want a tour of the lab." Horatio stated.

"I've memorized the blueprints of the building." He replied calmly as he set his helmet on the seat of his ride.

That stopped some of them in their tracks.

"Excuse me?" Ryan asked.

"I have an eidetic memory." Jonathan replied as he removed his gloves, sitting them on his bike by the helmet. He stepped away and toward the building, the group of CSIs parting for him.

"Eidetic memory?"

"After viewing anything and studying it for at least 30 to 45 seconds, I can recall almost everything about whatever it was." He replied as he walked slowly past. Horatio and Frank quickly fell in behind him, followed by Alexx, Calleigh and Natalia. A semi-shocked Ryan and Eric followed.

"Impressive. How long did that take you to learn?" Natalia asked.

There was a pause which did not go unnoticed by the CSIs.

"A year of training at the Marine Corp Academy followed by four years as a scout sniper, you learn to hone certain skills. I merely improved upon one I was born with." He stopped and opened the door, holding it for the people behind him. "After you."

"No. After you, Mr. Edrins." Horatio motioned, "I insist."

Not missing a beat, the new CSI made his way inside as the lieutenant continued.

"Despite your memorization of the building, we'll give you a tour anyway."

"As you wish."

As Frank, Eric, Ryan, and Alexx headed back to their respective jobs and cases, Horatio, Calleigh, and Natalia led Jonathan to the elevator.

"I must admit, despite all the negative PR that Stetler and the Feds tried smearing your lab with, you are very careful about who you let into your team." Jonathan commented as they stepped out into the hall after the doors opened.

"Exactly what is that supposed to mean?" Natalia stopped, wondering how this outsider knew about anything that went on here.

"Lieutenant, if we could perhaps take this into your office?" his voice maintained the deadly calm it had when he first spoke.

"Calleigh, Natalia. Return to your posts please while I have a word with Mr. Edrins." Horatio addressed the two women.

"There's no need, Lieutenant. They may as well hear it now from me as opposed to you or the rumor mill later." Jonathan stared at his new boss nonchalantly.

"Calleigh? Natalia?" the Lieutenant questioned.

"Ultimately it's up to you Horatio." Calleigh replied. "Natalia and I will listen to what he has to say if you want."

"Yeah." The Puerto Rican agreed.

Smiling at the two and ducking his head in acceptance, they made their way into the day shift supervisor's office. Horatio sat down at his desk, Jonathan in the chair across from him, while Calleigh and Natalia took seats on the couch.

"Alright Jonathan. I'm listening."

"I appreciate the fact that I got a position here in Miami. I needed a change of scenery, as well as a change of pace. However, what I do not appreciate is that things are going on behind my back about me." He began.

Calleigh and Natalia shared a glance, both of them wondering where this could potentially be headed. Horatio kept his eyes locked with the former marine, his look and countenance neutral.

"Especially when I have just arrived here, I can already feel the distrust. The restlessness. I am not a stupid man. I know about the two previous investigations in Cedar Rapids and in Des Moines. The ones that everyone supposedly thought were secret."

"I see."

"Do you? Or is this just another attempt at yet a third such occurrence? I do my job just like everyone else. I follow protocol and procedure. I just so happen though, to demand perfection from myself."

"Nobody is perfect Mr. Edrins." Calleigh spoke up.

"And yet when you look at my perfect record, you grow suspicious." Jonathan turned toward the ballistics expert. "Why is it that when an exception to the rule is found, everyone is up in arms?"

"Because we're human. And humans aren't perfect." Natalia added. "It's impossible."

"I know. More than you think. But that is beside the point." He replied, turning back to Horatio. "You go on then, Lieutenant. You perform your little investigation. I won't change my ways just so you can find something from nothing. I will report for duty tomorrow like what was agreed. I will do my job here the same as I have always done. Now if you will excuse me sir, ladies, I need to finish unpacking." He stated, standing up and walking out.

"Mr. Edrins."

The new CSI paused at the door from the call by Caine.

"I don't want to do this any more than you do. But it must be done. I will let you know of the findings after it is complete." Horatio said, "I'll do all I can to defend you. You're part of the family now, and we take care of our own."

"Even if you don't trust them?" he replied after a pause.

"Trust is something gained only with time."

Jonathan stood there, his back to the CSIs for a moment, before glancing over his shoulder.

"Time is something I have more of than what I want."

Then he left, closing the door softly behind him.

"What do you think he meant by that?" Natalia asked.

"I don't know." Horatio replied, "But I intend to find out. His transfer said he bought a house down here, didn't it?"

"Yeah it did. He lives across from us." Calleigh replied.

"Why don't you two go finish up any open work you have and punch out early. Then go offer Mr. Edrins some help."

"Anything in particular we need to be on the lookout for?" Natalia questioned.

"Anything out of the ordinary." The red-headed lieutenant replied, "Did his file give any hints of what you might expect to see?"

"Computer forensics, probably a good indication he'll have one or more computers. Former marine scout sniper, I'd expect at the very least a gun rack or safe." Calleigh stated.

"And I know that the house he bought has a three-stall garage so it's safe to say he probably has a workshop in there if his whatever-it-was he rode in on this morning is any indication." Natalia added.

"Very good." Horatio nodded as he stood up, his two 'surrogate daughters' standing as well. "Please be careful, and keep each other safe."

"We always will." Natalia replied, her arm winding its way around Calleigh's waist and resting her head against her wife's own.

"Good." He smiled and followed his two CSIs out the door.

* * *

_Later that day…_

"Welcome home, Jonathan." Called a voice as the man in question stepped inside.

"Anyone call while I was away?"

"No, there are no messages."

"Thank you Belldandy." He replied, leaving his helmet and gloves on the kitchen table.

"Heading back out to the garage?" the female asked.

"Yes Bell. Your sister has been nagging me ever since we arrived to finish getting the shop computer systems set up and her settled in." he replied, heading back out the door.

About an hour and a half later, Calleigh's blue Crossfire pulled up into the driveway of their house.

"You ready?" she asked as she cut the engine.

"Babe, I was born ready." Natalia laughed back, giving her wife a quick kiss on the lips.

The two women got out of the car, Calleigh locking the doors before they turned to head across the street. A white, extended cab Chevy Silverado sat in the drive, the only indication anyone might be home as the two women made their way up to the front door. Taking notice of something odd, Natalia spoke up.

"A security camera and a monitor? What good does a camera do you if it's right out in the open, along with the monitor?"

And at those words, the monitor blinked to life. "Hello there. Are you here to see Jonathan?" a beautiful female rendered in CG greeted the two women. Strange clothes, long sandy blonde hair, and three odd tattoos on her face gave her an unusual appearance even as her bright blue eyes seemed to be inherently focused on the two women. That in of itself was odd.

"Uhh…yeah, we are." Natalia was puzzled. "Who are you exactly?"

"I am a Goddess-type first-class unlimited access program Belldandy. An artificial intelligence designed, coded, and built by Mr. Edrins." The woman in the monitor replied cheerfully, bowing to the two. "I have released the seal on the door. You may enter now if you wish. I will let Jonathan know he has visitors."

The screen blinked off, followed by a click from the door.

"Okay, tell me I did not just have a conversation with an overly optimistic computer program." Natalia deadpanned.

"I wish I could, but that would mean me lying about having watched you have the conversation." Calleigh replied.

"So what do we do?"

"I don't know." The blonde replied, "She did say we could come in."

"She's a _computer program_."

Just then a man's voice broke over the speakers.

"Seeings how Belldandy already unlocked the door and invited you in, you may as well come in." Jonathan interrupted. "Make it fast, I don't have all day."

"Okay then." Natalia said as she opened the door and followed her wife inside.

The home was decorated in darker tones, giving it a cool, if somewhat foreboding atmosphere. The couch, recliners, and bar stools were all black leather, the mahogany lamp stands, end tables and coffee table matching nicely to the bluish gray carpet and dark blue walls. A large plasma TV hung on the wall, along with what appeared to be fabric wall scrolls of various Japanese cartoons. The color scheme matched the decor easily. So far it appeared to be a standard bachelor pad with a large bookcase filled with DVDs and a small entertainment center under the TV which held a DVD player and home theater system.

Taking a closer look around, however, revealed what appeared to be smaller, transparent monitors on the end tables near each recliner, a larger one on the coffee table, and on the bar that separated the living/dining room and its large mahogany table and six chair set from the kitchen. All the appliances were stainless steel and looked brand new. Small cameras and speakers were in almost every corner of the rooms, up near the ceiling, shaded the same color as the walls.

"This is a little odd."

"I'll say. All these cameras scream paranoia to me." Natalia replied, shutting the door to keep the Miami heat outside.

"Paranoia huh? Really? Then why does it feel like we are the ones being watched?" Calleigh shot back.

The female voice sounded again, coming from seemingly everywhere.

"Jonathan is out in the garage. The entry is in the kitchen near the refrigerator." Belldandy spoke.

"What are all these cameras for?" Calleigh asked.

"If you wish to know, you must ask Jonathan. He's restricted me from discussing anything about the house with anyone, Mrs. DuVista. You had best get moving."

"How did you know my name? We never gave it to you." She asked again, but there was no reply.

Giving her wife a look, the two women made their way into the kitchen. Opening the door, they walked down the three steps into the garage. Workbenches covered with various computer and electronics parts and wires lined two walls of the large space, as all manner of tools from screwdrivers and pliers to soldering irons and a blowtorch took up spare space between the different parts, wires, and cabling. Sitting in the stall immediately in front of them was a metallic aquamarine 2010 Chevrolet Camaro convertible that gleamed in the lights of the garage, its two silver racing stripes shining brightly. The five-spoke chrome rims sparkled and scattered the light that bore down upon them. The dark grey leather interior appeared luxurious and soft, with chrome detailing outlining the six-speed stick shift and dashboard displays. The middle stall was empty, apparently where the Silverado outside was kept inside, while in the far stall sat the menacing form of the treaded motorcycle Jonathan had rode in on earlier that morning. A voice sounded from behind a large, long rack of parts and computers that sat to the bike's right, obscuring the view of the shelving on the wall on its other side.

"Who's there and what do you-" Jonathan's question was cut off upon him sticking his head out around the end of the shelving unit and seeing the people in question. A frown marred his face as he walked out to look at the two female CSIs.

"Belldandy!" he barked.

A large screen on the back wall of the garage flickered to life with the woman in question.

"Yes?"

"You failed to inform me of just WHO exactly was at the front door before answering it. Tell me why they are here and why you let them in yourself instead of letting me know their identities first?" he growled.

"My apologies, Jonathan, but when I matched their faces to two of your new colleagues in my database I assumed you knew they were coming."

Groaning he covered his face with his palm, whispering something unintelligible.

"Fine. Go run a diagnostic on your transmitter array and satellite links while I talk to these two."

"Alright." The CG woman smiled before disappearing from the monitor.

A small silence stretched between the three as Jonathan turned and walked back into the small aisle formed by the wall shelves and the free standing ones. Sounds were heard of him rummaging around for something, the occasional muttering notwithstanding.

"Belldandy?" Calleigh inquired, hoping to bridge the gap that had somehow formed.

"She was my first success at attempting to make an artificial intelligence. Only she and her two sister programs have been my constant companions for the past four years for Bell, two years for Urd, and five months for Skuld. Their names and personalities were taken from the anime series Ah! My Goddess. Why are you here?" he rattled off, as he reappeared and moved over to a workbench that seemed to have several servers mostly connected, returning to plugging in wires and occasionally typing something into a nearby laptop.

"We came to see if you needed help unpacking." Natalia replied, walking over to the strange, tank-treaded bike. "We both finished up our cases early and Horatio let us punch out."

"Now why do I not believe you're here to just help me 'unpack'?" he replied, moving over to a different keyboard, sitting down in a computer chair and began typing in commands. "Do not touch my Hyanide, Miss Natalia. Skuld is still in there and she is not as tolerant of strangers as her bigger sister Bell is."

"Hyanide?" she stopped, looking at the sleek yellow and chrome machine.

"Yes, Hyanide." He stood up, pulling a pair of USB cables with him. Walking over he opened the center console of the bike and plugged them in. "Skuld, you ready for transfer?"

The computer screen changed to display a young girl with black hair, more odd clothing, and different but slightly similar tattooing on her face as Belldandy.

"Transfer in progress, Jonathan. Who are these two?" she inquired.

"Some co-workers of mine who live across the street. I'll leave you alone while you upload yourself. My…co-workers and I need to discuss a few things." Jonathan replied. "Have Bell let me know when you're done."

"Alright." Skuld replied before disappearing.

He turned back around to face the two women.

"If you would follow me please." He walked past them, up the steps and into the kitchen, the other two CSIs following him. He shut the door as they passed. While the two of them stood near the kitchen table, he opened up the fridge to get a beer.

"Did you want one?" he offered. "Amber Bock is all I've got."

Calleigh and Natalia shared a glance before the man interrupted.

"I'm attempting to be civil but you're making it very difficult knowing that you were probably sent here by Lt. Caine to scope out my house. I can assure you that everything in here has been legitimately bought and paid for, most of it built and programmed by me, or is otherwise mine." He pulled out two more beers and twisted off all three caps. Placing two of the bottles on the table, he moved out of the kitchen and into the living room. "You're both off duty so one isn't going to hurt. Unless you Miami types are above drinking something so 'unrefined' as a beer." His voice carried to them. "You can join me in the living room if you wish."

They grabbed their offered bottles and made their way into the living room, taking a seat on the couch as Jonathan sat in one of the recliners.

"Well, you obviously know of my computer abilities and have met two of my three AIs. What I'm wondering is if you're going to let word of their existence loose to the general public and in return make my happily quiet life a spectacle for the whole world's bullshit." He deadpanned. "Perhaps I should give you access to my bank accounts for your perusal? Hmm?"

"You know, you're being awfully defensive and a complete jerk about this." Natalia's irritation was starting to get the better of her.

"Then you understand from your dealings with IAB the anger and betrayal that comes with being a target."

"How would you know about any of that?" Calleigh spoke.

Jonathan stared at the two of them for a short moment.

"Urd." He stated.

"Urd?" Calleigh questioned, "That third AI of yours?"

"Correct." He confirmed before calling out the program in question. "Urd, please join me and my guests in the living room."

At the request, the larger monitor on the coffee table flickered to life, another CGI woman, this one with a dark tanned complexion and long white hair who seemed to radiate sex appeal, despite her being nothing more than a computer image.

"Yes, honey?" she purred.

"Activate data interlink program. Initiate live connection feed to the mainframe systems at Miami-Dade Police Department and their crime lab. Upload all active programs and display them on the main view screen." He ordered as he touched the monitor on the end table closest to him, opening a hatch in the ceiling and dropping a large screen down to cover the TV and entertainment system. "Lower ambient lighting by seventy percent."

"As you wish." Urd replied as she dimmed the lights and carried out the commands issued, pulling up all requested data. "If you're wondering, my namesake was an overseer of Yggdrasil, Heaven's computer. There's not a system on this planet that I can't gain access to given enough time. Whether or not it goes undetected however, is something entirely different." She continued, addressing the two CSIs sitting on the couch.

"You do realize however that what you are doing is illegal right?" Calleigh spoke upon seeing the data rolling up the screen.

"If you've noticed, I've done nothing malicious. No files have been tampered with, no computer systems compromised, no evidence files erased or altered." Jonathan replied.

"He is telling the truth." Urd spoke up, "Jonathan would not do anything to compromise any unsolved cases. There is a reason that he has a perfect conviction record. Belldandy has been helping him ever since she was created."

"Helping tamper with evidence?" Natalia narrowed her eyes.

"Watch your tone, DuVista." Jonathan growled dangerously, "If that is how you will treat them, hold your tongue."

"It is alright, Jonathan." Belldandy's image appeared in the monitor next to Natalia.

"You heard what she said. I will not tolerate that kind of behavior!"

"I hold no ill will against her and neither should you. You forget this is their first time dealing with artificial intelligence." She spoke softly, "Can you really blame them for being skeptical?"

"You speak as if we weren't here." Natalia was a little nonplussed at the treatment from this machine.

"I meant no disrespect Mrs. DuVista, and I know you didn't either. Please try to understand our position." She continued, "My sisters and I know what will happen if word of our existence were to get out. We have enough issues to deal with as is right now, especially Jonathan."

"Belldandy…" Jonathan's tone-of-voice broke no room for further discussion.

"What do you mean you have enough issues as it is?" Calleigh asked.

"I cannot tell you. That is for Jonathan to disclose if he so chooses to. However, knowledge of our existence is still secret. What we ask though is that during the next few days, will it remain that way?" she asked.

The two women sat there looking at the data available in front of them. Belldandy calmly watched the two as Jonathan stared into his beer bottle. Urd floated freely on the larger screen on the coffee table as the various programs occasionally shifted. The thoughts of the three humans were interrupted by a third female voice.

"Big sis. My upload is complete." Skuld popped up on the table monitor with Urd, who responded before Belldandy.

"I'll get her initialized and secured Belldandy."

"Thank you, Urd."

"Disengage interlink program." Jonathan commanded, "Log out of mainframe systems and terminate connections."

The view screen and table monitors went blank, save for the two AIs who in turn vanished as well with Urd restoring the light levels to their previous setting.

"What else are you keeping from us?" Calleigh asked, turning to the man.

"I can't tell you right now. Suffice to say, you will know if and only when it concerns you." He replied, standing up and walking back down a hall. "Leave your empty bottles on the table. I will take care of them. Belldandy will see you out. This visit is over."

The AI shifted herself to the table screen, as Jonathan disappeared down the hallway. The sounds of a door shutting rather firmly echoed through the silence for a split second.

"Please do not pressure him. He is under enough of it already."

"I must admit. He did an astronomical job programming you and your sisters." The blond CSI stated. "You three must really be intelligent. No way on earth could you have enough pre-programmed responses for every possible situation."

"This is true. We are able to learn by others' examples and mannerisms. My own experiences were shared with my sister Urd upon her creation. From there, each of our evolutions was different. And when Skuld was brought online, both Urd's and my experiences were available to her." She continued, "However, just like their namesakes from the show, they still have much to learn. I do as well."

Calleigh turned to her wife who was studying the avatar on the screen. Jonathan did have a point. From what she had seen, no alterations had been or were being made to anything in the Miami-Dade PD network. She also knew that if they had a valid password, access remotely wouldn't be looked at as being suspicious.

"What are you thinking, love?" she asked.

Natalia shook her head once, "I don't know what to think at the moment Calleigh. I just wish I knew what he's having problems with."

"So do I, hon. But he seemed pretty adamant against it."

"He has good reason. Whether or not you believe it, he's doing that for your own safety, as well as that of Miami." Belldandy spoke, "I cannot, however, tell you what it is. I swore to him, along with my sisters, that we would help him as best we are able. And that includes this."

"If it is a danger to Miami then we have to know." Natalia replied, turning to address the computer program.

"I'm sorry I cannot inform you more. I can tell you this though: despite his outward countenance and behavior, he is fiercely loyal to both of you and to the team already and will go to any lengths necessary to protect you. It may not be any condolence, but for now he has things under tight control. Also know that there are a lot of things he hides from my sisters and me as well. In some ways, we are just as in the dark and worried about him as you two."

"A computer program worried? Now I _know_ I've heard everything." Natalia rolled her eyes as she stood up.

"So what will you tell Mr. Caine about what you've seen here tonight when you report to him in the morning?" Belldandy asked.

Natalia looked at her wife and nodded, as if by some unspoken agreement.

"He's a loner with a nice convertible, a custom-built security system, and Midwest farm boy taste in beer." Calleigh replied with a wry smile. "Like Horatio told him earlier back at the lab; he's part of the family now, and we protect our own. That includes you and your sisters."

"Thank you both. It means a lot to my sisters and me. Jonathan as well." The CGI said, "I've released the seal on the front door. Thank you for stopping by. You two are the first humans other than Jonathan I've had the pleasure of talking to. Please stop back again sometime. Mr. Edrins, despite him denying it as well as having my sisters and I around, gets quite lonely."

A faint click was heard in the background as the two women got up to leave, setting their empty bottles on the kitchen counter.

"Perhaps next time we visit, it will be on more amicable terms." Calleigh replied to Belldandy, her wife opening the front door. "Tell your…sisters we said goodbye. And let Jonathan know we'll see him tomorrow at work."

"I shall." The goddess program replied with a happy smile before disappearing from the screen.

Calleigh and Natalia made their way out the door, shutting it behind them. They walked back across the street and up the walkway to their front door.

"So what do you think he's keeping from us, Cal?" the brunette asked as the two of them walked inside.

"I don't know. But whatever it is, it must be bad."

"I don't like the fact that there is something out there that is a danger not only to him, us, and the team, but to all of Miami as well. That doesn't sit well with me at all."

"For the time being, we've no choice but to trust he has things under control. Badgering him about it will only serve to make him clam up even more." The blonde replied as she went into the kitchen, getting out ingredients for a Caesar salad.

Natalia made her way into the bathroom, stripping off her clothes and turning on the shower. Stepping under the hot spray she let out a sigh as the pounding water soothed her sore shoulders.

Hearing the shower turn on, Calleigh smiled softly as she worked on the salad. In her mind's eye she could clearly see her beautiful wife; head tilted back, eyes closed as the water traveled its path down her elegant neck, washing down over and between her perfect breasts. She paused at the memory of just how soft and warm they were. She felt an almost incapacitating surge of arousal rip through her body and settle itself as a throbbing, aching heat between her legs. Her hands gripped the countertop as memories of being cradled in Natalia's arms, her head held gently between the soft warm mounds of Natalia's chest, Natalia's heartbeat thudding low in her ear and helping her to sleep as her wife's hand combed through her hair. Her eyes closed as she bit her lip, a quiet moan involuntarily escaping her throat as the thoughts continued to make her heart race and the pulsing heat intensify. She could see the water rolling down Natalia's stomach, smooth and toned, before reaching the juncture of her legs. Running between and caressing her most intimate parts with its liquid heat. Parts that Calleigh loved to kiss. Deep kisses that caused her wife to shudder and shake. Deep kisses that made Natalia moan softly and cry out loudly. She loved the sweet taste, drinking up her essence in an attempt to quench herself. Calleigh smiled at that. She'd never be able to get enough of the passionate woman who she was lucky enough to be married to.

Putting a cover over the finished salad, Calleigh wiped her hands and made her way silently to the bedroom, the arousal growing white hot within her. She divested herself of her clothes and snuck into the bathroom. She was glad they had the frosted-style glass on the shower. Natalia had not noticed her entrance. With a smile that would make the Devil himself shudder, she eased the door open just enough to slip inside behind Natalia. She silked up to her wife's wet form and molded herself against Natalia back-to-front, sighing in contentment at the feeling. Natalia gave a small start but immediately relaxed as a low, smoldering hot voice whispered in her ear.

"Hands up against the wall, and spread your legs."

Natalia moaned and shuddered as a strong pair of arms wound their way around her, one hand seeking out an instantly erect nipple while the other slid its way down to tease her slick folds. Her feet slid out to her sides as she bent forward under the spray, palms flat against the tile and arms locked to support herself.

"What seems to be the problem, _detective_?" she replied innocently, going along with the game.

"Reports of a tall, dangerously sexy woman roaming these parts. You seen her lately?" her hands continued their gentle massages; her right on her wife's left breast, her left buried in swiftly moistening heat between the brunette's thighs, teasing the opening.

Natalia moaned as she felt two fingers slip into her, her inner muscles tightening around them in an attempt to keep them inside. "Only seen one other person here, and that's you detective."

"You don't mind if I search you, ma'am?" Calleigh whispered in her lover's ear as her fingers continued their movements, sliding in and out in rhythmic thrusts.

"As long as you're thorough. Take as much time as you need." Her breath hitched as her heart hammered in her chest.

* * *

Work progressed fairly smoothly over the next few months since Jonathan's arrival. Eric had undergone surgery to remove the last few bullet fragments in his brain and had pulled through with flying colors. The team had put away a few criminals and had also locked up a serial killer that had been on the loose for a few weeks, preying upon young lesbian couples. Calleigh and Natalia had gone undercover as bait and had been targeted the first night. Natalia had been tasered and her heart had stopped for a few seconds before EMTs got it started again. The suspect had been mortally wounded by Calleigh and was off the streets permanently. Both women had recovered, taking a week off at Horatio's cabin in the Keys which had been given to them as a wedding gift by the Lieutenant. Jonathan was his usual dark self, same as he had been since his first day. However he seemed to be growing fond of the DuVistas, despite his reluctance to admit it. As with the previous two investigations into Jonathan, nothing was found. Horatio had pulled him aside the day that Delko had been cleared for duty again and informed him of the findings.

"Mr. Edrins, can I talk with you for a moment please?"

The young man looked up from the DNA analysis he was running, before turning back to his work.

"Valera, why don't you go grab us a couple of cups of coffee. There's a twenty in my locker. Get me an English Toffee cappuccino please?" he stated.

"Lieutenant?" the woman questioned, feeling odd at Jonathan's request since he hardly said anything.

"It's okay Valera." Horatio replied.

"Alright then, I'll be back in about fifteen minutes." The young geneticist left.

The two men remained, one going about his work with a focus of mind that made many of his coworkers jealous, the other merely watching.

"I'm going to safely assume this is about the investigation, Lieutenant, and not my work." The ex-marine said as he put the samples he was working on into CODIS and began his search.

"You would be correct."

"And?" he replied, focused intently on the screen before him.

"You're clear to go." Horatio replied, "I've also put in some words to people I know. This won't be happening again. At least not while you're part of our family."

Silence reigned free for a few moments before the sandy haired Caine turned to leave. A voice made him pause.

"Thank you, Horatio."

A smile came to the Lieutenant's face as he continued out the door. In four months, that was the first time the reserved ex-Marine had called him by name, since first joining the Miami-Dade crime lab. Perhaps he was starting to warm up to the team, but he doubted it. Chances were he would be back to 'Lieutenant' by tomorrow. But that was okay.

Valera came back in a little while later with the coffee.

"I put the change back in your locker." She told the man, who she found extremely attractive.

"Thank you Valera." He replied, taking the offered cup.

"Did you want to sit outside for our break? We aren't supposed to have drinks in here." She asked.

"Yeah. Let me complete chain-of-custody on these samples." He replied as he moved about the DNA lab.

In a minute or two he had the results from CODIS and had the evidence properly sealed and safely stored in the evidence locker. He took off his lab coat and hung it on a peg before joining the female DNA tech at the door. Together the two of them walked downstairs and outside. The ex-sniper led the way to a bench near the lab, situated under some palm trees. Sitting down, he looked out at the ocean. Valera joined him, sitting a little ways away on the bench, holding her coffee and trying not to openly stare at the CSI who had only been on the team for a few months. He was well built, but it was an athletic type of built, not like those body builders. She knew he was a fast runner, having heard of him chasing a fleeing suspect down on foot in less than a block and subduing him on a case the team had solved not more than three weeks ago. She also knew from the rumor mill that he came off as rather cold or indifferent to others around him. A voice broke her from her internal monologue.

"Something you wanted to say, Valera?"

She turned to find his eyes casually turned in her direction. Despite that, it still felt as though his gaze was boring holes right through her. A small tingle shot down her spine.

"N-no, not really." She took a drink of her coffee to cover her nervousness, wincing a bit as it burnt her tongue and throat as she swallowed. The quiet, sharp intake of breath did not go unnoticed by Jonathan. He took his own cappuccino, drinking from it, ignoring the heat searing his mouth.

"Jonathan?" Valera chanced.

"Yes Valera?" his voice retained its low, calm deadliness as it always did.

"I was wondering what you were doing after you get off work." She asked, staring at the Styrofoam Starbucks cup in her hands as she paused.

"I was just asking to see if you maybe wanted to go get some drinks after shift." She continued, looking up at him. His eyes were searching the horizon, out to sea.

"Are you sure you want to be seen leaving the lab with me?" his voice broke through the silence.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm a former Marine scout sniper. You don't get that kind of duty without knowing things. I've heard most of the rumors around the lab about me." He continued, his eyes shifting smoothly toward the woman sitting next to him, scanning her body freely. "I'm sure you've heard them too, Valera." His eyes returned to the now blushing young woman's face.

"Yes I have. And I'm sorry for some of the less-than-nice ones."

"What reason could you possibly have to apologize to me for?" he returned evenly, taking another drink of his English toffee as he once again returned his eyes to the ocean. "I know you've not started any of them."

"You do?"

"I'm a very observant person."

"I see." She replied.

"Do you?"

The question was asked in a tone that silenced any response. They sat there listening to the Miami breeze and sounds of the city behind them. Jonathan knew that every so often, the female DNA tech would look over at him, but he merely sat there at ease, seemingly calm and indifferent. But on the inside he could feel the corrupted essence roiling with hunger. It had been so very, very long since he had tasted the blood of another human; felt the flesh of a woman moving against him. The hunger surged violently within him but he chained it down harshly. No. He would not slip back there. He had made a vow never to do that again. Valera was a beautiful woman. She was kind, if not a little spacey once in a while. He dug into the pocket of his jeans, pulling out something. He reached out, after tossing his empty cup in a trash bin next to the bench, taking Valera's vacant hand, pressing the object into her palm. An odd feeling shot up her arm and into her mouth and throat at the contact.

"My Hyanide is parked out front. There is a spare helmet in the lockbox at the bottom of my locker." He said, standing up. "If you truly don't mind the rumor mill, I will wait for no more than five minutes. I have to go. Calleigh needs me in firearms."

He walked off, leaving only a parting comment. "Careful next time you get us Starbucks. They tend to overheat the coffee."

Valera sat there with a blank look on her face. She glanced down at her hand to find a small silver key. A smile broke out on her face. Oddly, she noted, her mouth and throat didn't hurt anymore…as though they had never been burned at all.

* * *

"What do we got?"

"A real brain scratcher." The southern drawling voice of the ballistics expert replied.

Jonathan walked into Firearms to find Calleigh DuVista, resident 'Bullet Girl' with a frown on her face and staring at a number of short, steel-looking spikes that were badly mangled.

"Had three people killed out in the middle of a strip mall food court. Witnesses say they saw the victims partially explode and drop. There were some minor explosions in concrete support pillars and in the asphalt pavement." Calleigh explained. "When we checked the explosion craters, these were what we found. Aside from the impacts, there were no reports of gunfire. There's no GSR on any of these slugs or any other signs of explosive residue. There's no bore grooves or abrasions at all on them to indicate any form of barrel either. Whatever these things were, they weren't fired with any form of chemical means. Metallurgical scans came back saying that they're some form of high-carbon steel jacketed in a titanium-tungsten carbide alloy. No gun I know of fires a shell like these."

Jonathan cocked his head to the side, his brow furrowed in a frown. He merely turned and grabbed a nearby paper clip and tossed it near one of the spikes.

It immediately stuck.

"Did you check for magnetism?" he asked rhetorically.

"No I didn't." Calleigh replied, easily pulling off the clip, "It's magnetic, but very weak."

"The impacts jarred the atoms in the slugs so they must have lost a great deal of their magnetism. At least compared to what they originally may have been before, or during, their firing." He replied.

There was a pause.

"You're looking at someone who owns a rail gun." Jonathan said, "Or a rail rifle, judging on the size of the slugs."

"I thought those were still experimental. I've heard of electromagnetic rail guns before but the problems weren't able to be overcome."

"To amateurs maybe." Jonathan replied. "Have you checked for prints?"

"Yeah, I managed to pull partials off two of the slugs." She replied, handing him the prints.

"I'll get these to Trace. Meet me at the Hummers, we've got some physics to do." He said as he walked out of Firearms.

'_What could he have meant by amateurs?_' Calleigh though to herself.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later saw Calleigh, Jonathan, and Ryan out at the crime scene with foam mannequins and lasers.

"Have Eric and Natalia found anything in common with our three victims?" Ryan asked as he placed a laser stick through one of the mannequins.

"None so far." Jonathan replied as he positioned his own mannequin. He turned on the laser and motioned for the other two to do the same.

"They're all pointing north. There's some high rises up there. If we're looking for a sniper, that'd be a logical place for a nest." Ryan pointed out.

"Logical but not possible." Jonathan replied walking over to the A/V Hummer.

Ryan looked at Calleigh, seeming somewhat offended. "Why's that?"

"The entry angles are wrong. Not to mention the lasers point between the buildings." The former Marine replied.

"Jonathan thinks the weapon that fired the slugs was a type of electromagnetic rail gun." Calleigh responded.

"And you agree with him? I thought those things were proven to not work." Ryan shot back.

Jonathan glanced over his shoulder before turning back to the computers. "They work, Mr. Wolfe. The evidence of that is right in front of you. Now, given windage, temperature, humidity, the Coriolis effect, and factoring in a muzzle velocity anywhere between two to seven times the speed of sound, we get a firing range of well over two miles." Jonathan was joined by the other two CSIs at the Hummer where he was putting in information rapidly. "Overlay that with the direction of the lasers, and we get a general vicinity of the location of a shooter. If of course, there even is one."

There was a pause.

"You know, some days you scare me, Jonathan." Ryan gave the man an odd look.

"Fear is irrelevant." He replied.

"I'll call Horatio and let him know what we found." Calleigh said, taking out her cell phone and dialing in their superior. "Horatio? We've narrowed down the location of a possible shooter… It's a four block radius around Beach and Main, two miles north of the crime scene."

The two men waited as Calleigh listened to Horatio's instructions.

"They did?... Okay… Yes, I'll let them know. Thanks Horatio." Calleigh ended the call.

"So what next?"

"Eric managed to uncover that one of our victims worked as a civilian contractor for the Marines about twenty years ago. He quit and joined up with a company here in Miami called EM Enterprises. They're a privately funded research lab that specializes in electromagnetic devices." Calleigh stated.

Jonathan turned to the computer and opened up a search. Typing in the company, the display shifted to show two separate green locators.

"This one here is downtown. That's where their corporate offices are at." Ryan said, "They also have a theoretical design laboratory there as well."

"And this one here is their main research and test facility. It's in perfect line-of-sight of the location of the victims." Jonathan added as he pointed to the screen. "Right in the projected firing zone."

"Alright, so which disgruntled employee shot our ex-contractor and, as far as we know, two innocent civilians?"

"That's what I intend to find out." Jonathan moved off to pick up the dummies and laser tracers.

"It's too late to go there today. Their lab closes at six and it's already five-thirty." Calleigh said as she brought up the office hours of EM Enterprises on the A/V Hummer's interface.

Ryan looked over her shoulder, "You're right. I'll put in for a warrant to search their lab and main office. We won't hear anything back until tomorrow though. We may get the one for their research lab, but unless we get more to go off of, I doubt we'll get into their downtown complex." He stated as he turned to go help Jonathan.

Calleigh saved the work that Jonathan had put onto the computer in the Hummer before shutting down the system. The three CSIs finished packing up their equipment into the other Hummer before leaving, letting the officer guarding the scene know that they were done.

* * *

It was quarter 'til six and Natalia was at her wits end. Valera had been glancing at the clock every three minutes for the past two hours. Granted she herself was pretty anxious to get off shift and go home with her wife, who was currently out at a scene, but she hadn't been like what Valera was now in weeks. She seemed almost ready to explode. Eric finally snapped.

'_Point for me, Eric broke first._' Natalia grinned inwardly.

"Valera! What is going on? You're bouncing off the walls here and always staring at the clock! It's driving me crazy!" the Cuban CSI exclaimed, grabbing his head in frustration.

"Nothing! I just have plans once work is done!" Valera said anxiously.

"Ooo. Plans? Maxine, these plans don't involve a man do they?" Natalia teased.

"Maybe." The younger DNA tech blushed.

"Anyone we know?" Eric grinned.

Just then, the clock turned to six, signaling the end of day shift.

"You'll just have to find out." Maxine stuck her tongue out at her friends as she dashed off toward the locker room.

Natalia and Eric shared curious, confused smiles before making their way out into the hall. Glancing around trying to find the sandy haired woman, Eric tapped Natalia on the shoulder.

"There she is." He pointed.

"Wait, what's she doing with a motorcycle helmet?"

"Didn't even know she could ride." He responded as the two of them followed Valera out the front doors of the lab.

The afternoon sun was beginning to hang low on the horizon, casting its orange-yellow rays through the air. The sky turned to fire as red, orange, blue, and violet washed through the heavens. Calleigh and Ryan joined Natalia and Eric on the steps of the lab and watched as Valera jogged toward a very familiar motorcycle. Jonathan Edrins, clad in his black leather jacket, boots, jeans, and black helmet sat atop his yellow, tank-treaded bike known to him as a Hyanide. Seeing a flash of silver and sandy blonde hair in his mirror, he glanced at the holographic HUD on the inside of his helmet.

'_6:03:54._' He thought. '_She made it after all._'

"Skuld, deactivate HUD. Engine start." He said quietly. The engine jumped quickly to life as Valera neared the menacing, exotic bike, settling easily into its idle.

He looked over his shoulder at Valera as she fiddled with the chin strap. He took her wrists, pulling them aside and deftly tied the strap through its metal catches. He pressed a small sliding switch on the under side of the chin before turning back to grip the Hyanide's controls.

"Hop on." He said into the microphone in his own helmet.

"Wha-how?" came the voice over the earphones.

"Microphone headset built into your helmet." He replied. "Have you ridden before?"

"Once. When I was a little girl."

"Feet on the pegs at all times, even at stops. Hold onto my waist. Lean with me through turns. Look forward over my left or right shoulder." He replied, watching over his shoulder as she mounted the bike.

He felt her arms wind their way around his waist, pressing herself lightly against his back. Revving the bike's engine he slowly released the clutch. The Hyanide rolled smoothly forward out of its parking space.

"Soooo, I obviously missed something here." Ryan said as he and the other three CSIs watched Maxine Valera don a helmet and climb onto the former Marine's Hyanide.

"So did I." Calleigh agreed as the treaded machine rolled smoothly through the lot and out onto the street. The sound of the Hyanide's sportsbike exhaust split the air as it suddenly took off down the street and out of sight.

"Apparently Maxine's got a date with Jonathan." Natalia said, her arm winding around Calleigh's waist as the blonde leaned into her.

"Yeah. Although I have to admit, I didn't see that one coming." Eric agreed.

"Almost didn't think the kid was capable of it." Ryan added. "He's always so shut off and serious; practically cold as ice. Here's hoping Valera doesn't get frostbite."

* * *

As the bike moved over the asphalt of the parking lot, Jonathan noticed the four people standing together.

"Hold on tight. We're being observed." He moved his left hand off the bar to make sure Valera's hands were locked around him.

"Hold on? What're you going to-" Valera's reply was cut short with a shriek, her arms instinctively tightening around Jonathan's waist.

He had dumped the throttle wide open after straightening out on the street. The engine roared to life as the bike seemed to want to leap out from underneath her. Her legs squeezed against the sides of the Hyanide as the vibrations from the engine made their way instantly through her body, seemingly in-time with her-now-racing heart. She had clenched her eyes shut as well, but even through the helmet she heard Jonathan shifting gears rapidly higher, perfectly in synch with his bike. She felt the bike lean to the right and tightened her hold on him even more. The distinctive hum of the tread on the pavement grew higher until leveling off. As she felt them settle into a speed and the wind whipping past them she opened her eyes.

They were cruising swiftly along one of the highways through Miami, heading south. Noticing how intimately she was pressed against her driver, she blushed and began to loosen her grip. She was stopped by a hand gripping her arm.

"Did you have some place specific in mind?" came the voice over her helmet's headset.

* * *

Jonathan struggled to keep the bloodlust under control at the feel of Valera's soft body pressed tight against him. His traitorous body, however, stopped her before she could loosen her hold. He tried to distract himself by returning his eyes to the road and asking the woman if she had an idea of where they wanted to go.

"Anywhere is fine with me. I'd just like to get to know you. We don't talk much at the lab and we're usually in different departments." Valera spoke into the mic.

"As you wish." Came the short reply.

Changing lanes, Jonathan guided the Hyanide to an exit ramp and off the highway. As they moved with the flow of traffic through the South Miami streets, Valera was quite aware of the looks the two of them were getting. Envy, lust, jealousy, and intrigue were easily noticeable on many girls' faces, as well as men. She knew she was attractive, but not in the league that Calleigh and Natalia were in. More than anything it was the look of the Hyanide that got the most attention. The unique design coupled with the menacingly angled body added to its odd but effective drive system, making the Hyanide intimidating to say the least.

They rode through the streets as the sky grew dimmer above them. The air grew cooler, enticing Valera to move closer still to the strong, warm body in front of her and the heat from the engine. Signal lights shone green as they passed. Pressing a switch on the controls, Jonathan temporarily changed frequencies.

"Who is she and why is she riding on me?" came the shriek.

"Skuld. If you wish to keep going out like your sisters, I would advise you to lower your vocal processor's sound level." Jonathan replied.

"I don't care! I want her gone!" Skuld's image appeared on the tiny holo HUD in his helmet.

"I'm warning you Skuld. Valera has done nothing to you nor does she even know you exist. Now, find all night clubs within a two mile radius of us that include some form of food service." He ordered.

Skuld growled and crossed her arms, turning away from her creator.

"You have three seconds to comply." Jonathan growled.

"Fine! Okay!" she shouted.

The list appeared on the main console of the Hyanide. Jonathan touched one of the glowing green points on the touch screen and selected the GPS navigation. A map appeared on the console with a green line indicating the quickest route.

"Thank you Skuld. And your sisters and I will be having a talk about this little tiff of yours when we get home. Understood?"

The CGI girl's shoulders slumped and a soft "Okay" was all he heard. He released the switch and the headset reconnected with Valera's own, the HUD going dark.

"I've found a place on my GPS not far from here." Jonathan's voice came over Valera's headset.

"Do they serve food? Sad to say I missed lunch today." She replied, shifting her hold on him. Due to the helmets and the sound and vibrations of the Hyanide she didn't hear the low growl of arousal from Jonathan, who's bloodlust was beginning to get the better of him.

'_Should have taken my truck to work._' He thought to himself even as he replied, "Yes they do."

Jonathan weaved the two of them easily through the evening traffic. Son they were pulling up to the curb outside of Club Mystic. There were a few other cliché sports bikes, one or two cruiser-style Harleys, and a chopper parked out front. A long line waited outside for admittance into the club. There was hardly a single person in said line or at the door who didn't turn to look at the Hyanide as Jonathan curved it around and into a free space between the other segregated bikes; sports and crotch rockets on the left, cruisers and roadsters on the right. Quite a bit of space separated the two groups; well over a car length.

He parked parallel to the curb…right in front of the club entrance. He pressed a button on the touch screen and the engine fell silent. He steadied it with his legs as Valera dismounted.

"Activate engine lockout. Authorization Jonathan-delta-one-engage." He commanded into his helmet microphone before pulling it off and helping Valera with hers. He took off his jacket, storing it in a small, built-in compartment in the back of the bike. Securing the helmets to their locking ports on either side of the Hyanide, he checked the touch screen console. The words on the screen displayed:

ENGINE LOCKOUT SEQUENCE COMPLETE? YES or NO

Tapping the 'Yes' button, the lights blinked once before the screen went black.

"What was that?" his…date?…asked.

"Engine lockout. My Hyanide has no keys. Everything is computer-controlled." He replied as he turned back to her. "I designed a mechanism that cuts off fuel supply and battery power to the engine, as well as disengaging the transmission's ability to power the tread. It also locks both front and rear brakes hard on. They won't release unless I enter my command code."

His arm found her waist as he led her up toward the door.

"What're you doing?" Valera whispered under her breath growing nervous at the looks shot her way from the people standing in the line.

"Going inside with you." He replied easily.

"But the line…"

"You let the line take care of itself. I'll handle this." His voice was low and still quite menacing.

"Excuse me but if you want in," the doorman started as he spotted the two of them approaching, pointed back down the street, "back of the line and wait."

Jonathan and Valera stopped at the chord. Jonathan motioned the bouncer over. His eyes narrowed as he approached the CSI. Jonathan leaned over and began whispering in the bouncer's ear. Finishing what he had to say he leaned back, looking at the now pale face of the muscular man.

"You're lying."

To make his point, Jonathan took out his HTC Droid phone, tapped a few keys, and showed the screen to him.

"S-sorry sir. Right away." The bouncer stammered and hurriedly unhooked the rope, bowing to the CSI who merely closed and pocketed his phone. He returned his arm to Valera's waist, guiding her into the club to the quite vocal annoyance and outrage of the people outside.

"What was that all about?"

"Every man has his price but it isn't always monetary." He replied cryptically.

"What did you say to him?"

"It's not so much a matter of what I said as it is the leverage I have. In cities like Miami, it isn't always about popularity but being able to know the right people." He explained nonchalantly as they made their way to the bar. "I know plenty of people. A number of them relate to our friend the doorman.

"You blackmailed him?" she hissed.

"No. I just have friends in high places whom he works for. He didn't believe me. I proved him wrong. Instant access pass. Simple as that."

"You're friends with his boss?" she asked bluntly.

"In simple terms, yes I am friends with his boss." He confirmed.

"Well why didn't you just say so?" she huffed as they sat at the bar.

"Because you're cute when you're angry." He replied just as bluntly, turning to the bartender.

"Your usual, Mr. Edrins?"

"Yes please, Carl."

The barman, Carl, turned to Valera, "And for you ma'am?"

"I'll have whatever Jonathan is getting." The blushing DNA tech replied.

"Two IBFs coming right up." He turned and walked away.

"So you think I'm cute?" Maxine ventured, glancing at the handsome CSI sitting casually at her side.

"Yes." He stated, '_You're in too deep, Edrins._' His consciousness told him.

But it had been so very long…and he could hear her heartbeat crystal clearly through the noise of the club…he could hear the rush of her blood singing in her veins, calling to him. Calling to the beast within.

"So you find me attractive?" she shyly tucked some stray hair behind her ear, "I know there are other girls prettier than me at the lab."

"But I'm not here with them am I, Maxine?" he gently took her chin in his hand, forcing her to look at him. "I'm here with you."

The bloodlust surged violently within him, his chest grew extremely warm and he almost lost control. The next words out of her mouth were like a bucket of ice water to his unnatural desires.

"I'm attracted to you, Jonathan. But what's more is that I feel like I can trust you with anything. Even my life. And that's not something that happens to me with someone I don't hardly know." She smiled, looking up at him.

Jonathan was at a loss for words. He looked on as Maxine took the drink before her, just placed there by Carl. Raising it to her lips she almost spilled it as she jerked it back.

"It's freezing cold! What is this?" she exclaimed, looking in the glass at the swirling blue liquid and ice cubes.

The words helped snap Jonathan out of his daze.

"It's an Icebound Fortitude. A drink I came up with back in Iowa. I named it after a spell from a video game I used to play."

Valera lifted the slowly frosting tumbler to her nose, smelling it. "Orange sprite?"

"Sprite and blue curacao. The curacao is what gives it the coloring and orange scent. Add two ounces of Everclear chilled to around forty below zero and you have your Icebound."

"And the fortitude part?" she asked with a crooked grin.

"Depends on if you remain coherent and on your feet after having one." He smiled back.

* * *

"So did you get around to calling your father and sisters about having Thanksgiving here?" Calleigh asked as she came out of the kitchen carrying a bottle of wine and two glasses.

"Yeah, they said they would love to have it here. And by the way Anya talked, she and Chance will be coming together." Natalia replied from her reclined position on the couch. She opened her arms to allow her wife to lie down on her, to which the blonde readily did.

"Court said he, his wife and kids would bring Mom along too." Calleigh sighed, snuggling deeper into the warm softness of Natalia's body.

She always felt safest when they were like this, warm and content, wrapped up together on their couch after dinner. They lay there together, occasionally sipping the wine, and enjoying the waning light outside.

"How do you think Valera is doing on her date with Jonathan?" Calleigh asked as she closed her eyes, listening to her wife's steady heartbeat thudding calmly beneath her cheek and the humming vibration of Natalia answering.

"She's already doing better than the rest of us. Aside from work, going out on cases with him, and the occasional glimpse of him at home, I hardly see him." She responded, her hand slowly caressing Calleigh's back.

"I didn't even know he was interested in anyone." Calleigh murmured, the gentle touches making her begin to drift. "What about Maxine?"

"She's had the hots for him for a few weeks, now that I think about it. I don't know why I didn't notice it before."

Looking down she saw the slumbering visage of her wife. Smiling softly, she moved ever so gently and pulled the afghan off the back of the couch and draped it over the two of them. Her arms circled around Calleigh's waist and squeezed gently. Placing a soft kiss on her platinum gold tresses she was rewarded with the smaller woman cuddling closer, twining their legs together. Despite knowing their backs were going to probably feel like murder in the morning, Natalia drifted off as well, not wanting to wake her slumbering wife so that they could move to the bedroom. Feeling that familiar and welcome sense of protection wrap its way around her tried body, Natalia's eyes closed, thoughts of Jonathan and Maxine, the lab, the case, and life swirling together into the only image she wanted to spend the rest of her life gazing at.

Calleigh DuVista.

* * *

"Whoa there. Easy Valera." Jonathan caught the DNA tech as she lost her balance, giggling at the fact.

"We should do this more often, Johnny." She slurred.

"Yes, we will but next time perhaps you shouldn't have so many Icebounds." He demurred.

"Why? Don't think I have the fortitude for them?" she playfully swung a punch aimed for the sniper's shoulder but missed horribly, the centrifugal force spinning her slightly and sending her way off balance again.

"Not really, no." he replied, catching her once again. "Okay, obviously can't take you home on my bike."

"You want to take me home?" she looked innocently at Jonathan.

"Well I'm not leaving you alone in this state."

"Oh you're so romantic." She latched onto him and passed out on his shoulder.

He sighed, picking her up and carrying her bridal style toward the Hyanide.

"Skuld, release engine lockout. Authorization Edrins-delta-six-one-two-green." He stated tapping in a code on the touch screen console. A moment and a few clicks later, Skuld appeared on the screen.

"Wow. She doesn't look too good Jonathan."

His eyes shifted red momentarily, his hand slowly moving down her back, before returning to their normal color.

"BAC of over point two. Get Belldandy. Tell her to upload herself into the Silverado and activate internal holographic projectors. She's going mobile. Have her meet us here. Valera is too incoherent for me to risk her riding passenger on you." He responded, sitting the woman down on the seat of the treaded bike.

"Instructions sent. Acknowledge received. Big sis is on her way, Jonathan, ETA twenty-five minutes." Skuld replied, "Isn't her BAC level dangerously high to being poisonous?" she asked, now concerned for the unknown-to-her woman sitting on her seat.

"Yes it is." Jonathan's hand moved down to gently hold Valera's own.

"Can you help her at all here? We can't wait for big sis to get here and then even longer for the drive home." Skuld asked after a few moments.

"I know. I'm going to try and help her body filter out the alcohol a little faster." He replied, his other hand moving to the small of her back.

His eyes turned slowly red again as his concentration intensified. Valera twitched a little and let out a soft groan as she leaned further into Jonathan. They stayed like that for several minutes, Jonathan even brushing off a few questions from the doorman, feeding him a little white lie that they were waiting on a friend to pick her up. Soon Valera began to move in earnest and she pushed slightly away form Jonathan, a hand going to her pounding head. The red in his eyes disappeared as the hand he had placed near her liver shifted and slowly rubbed her back.

"How do you feel?"

"Dizzy, drunk, and I have to go to the restroom badly." She said as he helped her to her feet.

He looked down at the now mostly blank screen of the Hyanide which displayed only the GPS map and 2 small dots: one stationary, the other moving. A small timer counted down the time to intercept.

"Alright, c'mon. Let's get you back inside to the restroom." He replied, guiding her carefully along. He was thankful the bouncer was kind enough to open the door for them.

By the time Valera finished and the two of them got back outside, a white extended cab Silverado sat idling quietly by the curb. The side window rolled down to reveal none other than Belldandy in the driver's seat.

"I got here as quick as I could Jonathan."

"Thank you Bell." He replied, opening the passenger door. "Valera, this is one of my friends from my…college days. She's going to take you to my house. I'll be following the two of you on my Hyanide okay?"

"Alright." Maxine's speech was still slurred but she was securely buckled into the seat. He shut the door and jogged back to the bike, grabbing his helmet and putting it on.

"Engine start." He commanded as he fastened the chinstrap. The bike started instantly and Jonathan gripped the controls. He radioed Belldandy. "Ready when you are."

And with those words, the truck pulled away from the curb, heading back the way it came. Jonathan followed close behind, ready to act at a moment's notice in case something were to go wrong.

"Don't worry Jonathan. Big sis won't let anything happen to her. She obeys all the traffic laws." Skuld showed up on the holo HUD inside his helmet.

"That doesn't stop me from worrying Skuld." He replied, checking his mirrors and gauges for the Nth time.

Up in the cab of the Silverado, things were a little different however. Belldandy knew she shouldn't reveal what she really was and easily steered the conversation away from that, not having any experience in creating what she knew was termed a 'white lie.'

"You're a good person Bell, and Jonathan's lucky to have you as a friend." Valera intimated.

"Yes he is lucky, and thank you. I get a feeling that Jonathan is interested, but I fear it may take some time. It has been many years since he last tried dating." The computer program replied.

Valera was still feeling woozy and reached out to pat the other woman on the shoulder. Her hand, surprising even to her in her drunken state, phased right through Belldandy.

"Whoa." Valera pulled back, blinking a few times. "I must've had more than I thought."

She swayed in her seat for all of three seconds before passing out again. All the while Belldandy studied her with a slightly worried look on her projected face.

"Oh dear." She said before opening a channel to Jonathan.

"Yes Belldandy? Is everything alright?"

"I'm not sure. She seems to have passed out."

"Has she thrown up?"

"No. In fact she's been fairly coherent enough that she's able to track conversations."

"Well it's an improvement over earlier. Notify me if any changes occur before we get home. ETA ten minutes."

"Understood." Belldandy closed the commlink.

The rest of the drive was made in relative quiet. Belldandy had dialed down the stereo volume so as not to disturb her passenger. They made their way down the streets and through the city until arriving back at Jonathan's house. Jonathan parked the Hyanide back in its garage stall as Belldandy backed herself into the driveway, parking and cutting the engine. Jonathan came out through the still-open garage door and made his way toward the passenger side of the Silverado.

"Belldandy, download back into the home network. Thank you for the help."

"Anytime Jonathan. Initiating transfer. See you inside." She replied before her holographic body flickered and disappeared.

He unbuckled Valera and once again picked her up bridal-style.

"Arm doorlocks." He commanded.

The doors gave a faint click. He shut it with his foot before turning back around and walking back in through the open garage door. A moment later, the door shut behind him and the lights clicked off just before the door reached the ground. He was unaware of the watchful eyes taking in every move he made.

* * *

End Chapter 1

_**DISCLAIMER:**_ I do not, have not, nor ever will own CSI: Miami. If I did, I would have fired all the writers, brought in Racethewind10 and sinjenkai, and Calleigh and Natalia would be together. Sadly I don't, so they aren't.


	3. Chapter 2

"Oh, my head."

Maxine grimaced as she brought a hand up to hold her pounding head. Her mouth felt like someone had packed it with gauze and cotton balls as dry as it was. Her stomach roiled dangerously as she struggled to sit up. Leaning forward, she cradled her forehead with one hand and her stomach with another. It was then that she realized she was in a bed, still in her clothes from the previous night. The sheets were slick and cool, made of navy blue silk. Her eyes closed against the morning sunlight streaming in through the large windows and sliding glass patio door. She felt the bed dip slightly and something metallic and smooth pressed to her neck. A small click followed instantly with a hiss and her headache eased up in its severity. Her neck tingled a bit and she opened her eyes to see a large glass of a thick reddish liquid held out to her.

**Corrupted Blood**

Chapter 2

By: LowFlyer1080

"Here. Drink this. It will help settle your stomach and replenish the nutrients the alcohol burned off." A soft voice said.

"Jonathan?" she mumbled, taking the offered glass.

"Yes it's me. You must drink. It will help." He replied.

"What is it?" she asked even as she lifted the glass to her lips.

"Fresh tomato juice. After you finish that, I've got a small glass and a pitcher of water here as well. You are dehydrated." He reached out, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear. '_I spent one night out with her. Why am I acting like this?_'

"What happened last night?" she asked after taking a few swallows of the juice.

Despite the taste it had an almost immediate effect on her queasy stomach.

"You had more than one too many Icebounds." He smiled. "The Everclear in them tends to sneak up and ambush a person rather quickly."

"What did you do to my neck?" she asked, taking another drink.

"An injection to help with the head and body aches that come with hangovers." He said.

He held up a cylinder-shaped tool with a triangular box on top that held some buttons on one side and a round metal hemisphere on the other. At the other end was a smaller glass vial, the bottom inch sticking out of the device holding an amber liquid.

"A little bit of Star Trek fiction turned reality. It's a hypospray. It injects medicine through the skin and into underlying blood vessels." He said, holding it out for her to see, "My own special hangover cure."

"What's in it?" she asked, looking up at her.

"Do you really want to know?" he asked back.

She sat there for a moment or two, thinking about it.

"Well, I'm not going to argue with results." She replied.

They sat there in silence as Maxine finished off the tomato juice and also several glasses of water. Jonathan got up, taking the empty glasses and what was left of the water with him out of the room, calling out as he did so.

"There is a full bathroom attached to the master bedroom. Take a shower if you wish, I've laid out some towels and a washcloth on the counter. You'll have to use my body wash and shampoo if you do, however. I'll make us some breakfast."

Valera gingerly slid to the edge of the bed and put her feet on the floor. She slowly got to her feet, swaying slightly. Shuffling her way toward the bathroom, she passed a rather large safe with its door cracked open. Not enough to see inside, but enough to show that it was unlocked. Her curiosity was definitely piqued. She paused near the safe, considering looking inside until she realized there was a camouflaged camera up in the corner of the bedroom pointing right at her. She moved on into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her and locking it.

'_Probably best anyway. It isn't mine to look in._' she thought as she began stripping.

Meanwhile Jonathan moved around in the kitchen, making scrambled eggs enough for two. He set the table and turned the morning news on. Morning weather, war in Afghanistan, economy slowly recovering. Same old BS as it had always been. He flipped it over to local news. Seven day weather forecast, health news, H1N1 update. No changes there either. Three dead at mall shooting.

'_Looks like the press caught word of that fast._' He thought as he listened in.

After a while, Valera walked in, joining him at the table. "Nice place you've got."

"Thank you." He replied, setting a plate down in front of her with eggs and toast with jam.

"You didn't have to do this."

"No I didn't. Just eat." He replied, fixing his own plate. "Despite what the grapevine says, I'm not the cold and uncaring ass they make me out to be. I'm just more guarded."

"Quality over quantity huh?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"The few friends you have you are extremely close to. You might not have many, but the ones you do you can always count on. Hence quality over quantity."

"I see."

The two CSIs ate in silence for a while, only the TV making any noise as the reporter continued on about the news.

"I never meant to imply that I believed in the rumors circling through the lab." Valera put her fork down.

Jonathan remained silent, waiting for her to continue.

"I wanted to come to my own judgment about you. And despite that you seemed rather indifferent to everyone and everything that wasn't a case, a suspect, or evidence, I still found myself drawn to you." She looked up into the piercing green eyes looking back at her. "I wanted to get to know you. The real you. The man beneath the armor."

She stood up, taking her dishes to the sink, feeling the need to do something.

"And I'm afraid to say I still don't know much about you. Last night is nothing more than a blur. I can't remember much of anything past the point when we got to the club."

She jumped a little as a pair of strong arms wound their way around her waist. One hand rested on her hip, the other flattened out against her now fluttering stomach. She complied willingly as those arms pulled her gently back to lean against a firm, warm body. Her head tilted slightly as she felt a pair of lips press against her neck, just below her ear. Her shaking hands gripped the counter's edge as her eyes closed, letting out a low moan. Then came a whisper.

"Everyone knows everything about what they've experienced, even if they can't remember."

Valera felt a tingle fill her entire body. She failed to notice Jonathan's eyes reflected in the window pane.

They were blood red.

Memories of last night slowly filtered into her mind. Talking over food and drinks. A pool game that involved more than its fair share of touches. More drinks and dancing. Oh God the dancing, she was getting damp remembering it. Walking back outside toward the bike. And the memories stopped as the tingling slowly tapered away into nothingness. The arms withdrew as the body behind her retreated. Her eyes fluttered open, heat suffusing her face as she turned around to watch the man gather the rest of the dishes.

'Just what _was_ that?' she thought, now extremely aroused.

'_Get a grip on yourself Edrins before out allow the bloodlust to take control!_' he thought to himself.

"The armor you spoke of," Jonathan began in a low voice, "I'm afraid that is all that remains of me. Covered in frost and held together by nothingness."

He placed the dishes in the dishwasher before turning to head out to the garage.

"Your purse is there on the counter. We must be going or we will be late for work."

A frown marred Valera's face for a moment or two before she went and grabbed her purse. She took the same path Jonathan did and went out into the garage. The sight of countless tools, wires, and computer parts gave her pause. The starting of an engine snapped her out of it and she walked past the Camaro and out the open stall door to the idling truck. She climbed in as the garage door closed behind her. The ride to the lab was made in silence, save for the radio. Valera wanted to ask about how the station was tuned to one out of Iowa, but she didn't. She also refrained from asking Jonathan about his last comment. Jonathan's mind was occupied as well, trying desperately to regain his waning control over his bloodlust. Bringing up Valera's memories from her blood was fast becoming a problem. His hunger was growing at a now out-of-control rate and his arousal was beginning to become noticeable as well. He had no choice. If he didn't feed soon, he'd turn. And he was afraid Valera would be the target.

Pulling up at the front of the Miami-Dade Crime Lab, Valera made to get out. She looked over at the former Marine sniper. Jonathan's face was drawn tight, sweat beading on his forehead. His knuckles were white tight against the steering wheel.

"Jonathan are you-"

"No I'm not. Go get to work. Tell Horatio I'm going to the doctor's." he interrupted. Even his voice was strained.

"O-okay. Get better soon." Maxine replied as she got out of the truck.

Jonathan took off out of the parking lot, making his way back home. He didn't know if he would make it as he fought back the rising fury within him in vein.

* * *

"Sooo, how did your night go Valera?" a mirthful voice asked.

Natalia's smile faltered somewhat upon seeing the concerned look on her friend's face.

"Hey Maxine? You okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine."

"What's wrong?"

"Jonathan wasn't feeling well. Do you know where Horatio is so I can tell him he won't be in today?"

"Yeah, I think he's up in his office."

With that Valera left the DNA lab. Not ten seconds later, Calleigh walked in.

"Hey baby."

"Hey darling!" Calleigh drawled, "Where was Valera headed off to so fast?"

"She said Jonathan wasn't feeling well. Said he asked her to let Horatio know he wouldn't be in today."

"Dang it. I was gonna ask for his help on this railgun case. We've hit a dead end."

"How so?"

Calleigh moved to lean against the counter beside her wife as she continued.

"EM Enterprises, that company we're investigating, has barred us from entering their facilities. We can get into their offices downtown but they're claiming that without proper authorization we can't get into the R&D Lab that we discovered fell within indirect line-of-sight and range of the crime scene."

"Have they not heard of a search warrant?"

"They have. Apparently they have military guards barring the entrance from anyone not having proper authorization. They claim they can turn away anyone without Federal-level access. Including us."

"And how would Jonathan help that situation?"

"His AI program Urd."

It dawned on Natalia what her blond wife was getting at.

"She could crack into their system, somehow manage to get us access into their computer network." She answered.

"That and he's retired military. He might still have his uniform." Calleigh continued, "Or at the very least some strings he could pull to get us in. I'll go talk to Horatio. He's the only one with Jonathan's home phone."

"I'll try reaching him on his cell phone but if he went to the doctor's he may not answer." Natalia replied.

"Love you, Talia."

"A bushel and a peck, Cal." The brunette replied, embracing her wife and giving her a chaste kiss on the lips before the blond left.

* * *

Jonathan stumbled inside his house. His heart was pounding out of control and sweat trickled down his head and neck.

"Belldandy, open the vault door." He clutched his chest as he leaned heavily on the dining room table.

"An authorization code is required." Came the automatic response.

"Edrins Delta Six!" he grunted in pain.

"Door seals unlocked. Forgive me Jonathan but the program forces me to ask." The AI woman replied, "Are you having another attack?"

"Yes I am."

"Understood. Lock down sequence has been initiated."

Jonathan managed to make his way down the hallway to the open vault door before collapsing on the floor. He lay there for a few seconds before growling in rage. Pushing himself up on shaking arms and clenched fists, he crawled into the vault and past the door's arch.

"I refuse to let it take control!" He muttered angrily to himself.

"Lock down sequence is complete. All house exits have been sealed." Belldandy's image appeared on a monitor on the far wall of the vault.

Jonathan struggled to his feet in the center of the room. His head was pounding and his chest felt like it was going to explode as his heart raced faster. Gripping a fist to his chest, he managed to gasp out an order.

"Seal the vault door. Override warning, authorization code Edrins Delta Six."

"Understood." Belldandy replied as the large metal vault door swung shut and locking bars snapped into place, sealing the room tight.

* * *

After not receiving a reply from Jonathan's cell phone, Horatio dialed his home phone while Calleigh waited.

* * *

"Jonathan, there is an incoming call from the crime lab. Tracer program identifies it as Lt. Horatio Caine."

Belldandy's voice managed to cut through the red haze clouding the man's thought process and give him something to focus on as he lie on the cold metal floor of the vault. He had collapsed again shortly after forcing his way to his feet. His eyes opened and zeroed in on the white metal cabinet on the far wall, marked with a medical red cross on its doors.

"What do you want me to do?"

"Answer the call, use the same cover that you're an old college friend. Let him know I will be in tomorrow but am sleeping and you don't want to disturb me."

"Alright." Belldandy's form disappeared from the vault's monitor.

"Computer. Block access to the vault from the Goddess programs. Authorization Edrins Delta Six."

"_****Acknowledged****_"

Crawling his way over to the cabinet, he hauled himself to his feet. Rage and anger were channeled into his focus. He knew he wouldn't suppress the bloodlust this time. Shame and self-hatred welled up within him, adding to his anger. Placing his hand over a palm scanner on the cabinet door, he released the locks. Cold air flowed out from the doors as they opened. Four pint medical packs filled with blood hung on hooks inside the refrigerated cabinet. Scowling in rage, Jonathan grabbed a packet and shut the doors, resealing the locks.

'_Suck it up soldier. Get it. Open it. Consume it. No hesitation, just get it over with._' He thought to himself.

He ripped open the packet and blood splattered everywhere.

* * *

"I'm sorry Lt. Caine, but Jonathan is sleeping now and I don't want to wake him. He hates being sick." Belldandy's voice came over the speaker phone in Horatio's office.

"I understand. Let him know we hope he gets to feeling better." He replied.

"I will. Good bye Lieutenant."

"Good bye Bell." He said before hanging up the call. Turning to his friend he continued, "Get over to his house and double check on him after your shift."

"Something wrong Horatio?" Calleigh questioned. It struck her as odd that Belldandy had answered the phone call.

"Yes. He didn't go to the doctor. Otherwise he wouldn't have been home so soon."

"Well I'm sure Bell will take care of him."

"Even so, you and Natalia seem the closest to him out of everyone here."

"That's a stretch Horatio." She retorted.

"I know." He replied, standing up.

Calleigh rose from her seat as well as she replied, "Alright. Natalia and I will go check on him once we get home."

* * *

Several hours later saw the DuVistas once again knocking on Jonathan's door shortly after having arrived home from work. They glanced around but the curtains were drawn shut over the windows and no light shone through them. The sun was setting and the streetlamps had come on in the waning light of day. Calleigh knocked on the door again.

"Belldandy? It's Calleigh and Natalia. We came to check on Jonathan." Natalia spoke toward the camera and screen mounted near the door, hoping she could get the attention of the AI program.

The door opened to reveal the man in question looking very tired, very wired, and more than a little cross.

"I assume you two have a valid reason for waking me up?"

"We wanted to check and see how you were doing." Natalia replied.

"Like death warmed over." Came the immediate, dry retort.

The two women couldn't help but snicker a little at that, earning them a glare that could have melted titanium. They had been on the receiving end of that look enough to not be fazed. Jonathan eventually rolled his eyes at the couple before turning around to wander back off inside the house, leaving the door open for them to enter. They stepped in, Calleigh shutting the door behind them.

"So what did the doctor say?" Natalia asked. Calleigh had filled her in on their way home.

"He didn't say anything." Came the reply as Jonathan came back into the room from the hallway, putting on a t-shirt. "I didn't go."

"But Valera told me you said you were going to the doctor."

"It's a twenty-four hour flu, nothing more. I know because I've had them before." He grumbled as he moved to his living room and sat down on his couch. He took a drink of orange juice from a glass that sat on an end table.

"Well that's good to hear then. We also came over to ask you about something work-related." Natalia said as she and Calleigh took seats in the living room with their co-worker.

"We wanted to know if you still had your uniform. They have military guards barring us from entering their test facility even though we have a search warrant."

"And you wanted to know if I still had friends in high places?" he concluded.

"Yeah." Calleigh continued, "We also wanted to know if we could use Urd to...scout out their compound."

"Scout out who's compound?" came the sultry voice of Urd as her image appeared on the coffee table monitor.

Jonathan sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Urd, how many times must I tell you not to eavesdrop?"

"Sorry but picking on Skuld gets boring after a while and Almighty only knows what Belldandy is up to." She replied.

"Wait a damn minute. Isn't that illegal? Spying on someone?"

"Well technically yes, however in this case we do have a search warrant." Natalia said.

"Which means I can go about my business without it going against my ethical subroutines." Urd replied smiling.

"Now just a second–"

"Perfect. All that's left to do is have Jonathan get us inside." Calleigh finished with one of her megawatt smiles.

Jonathan merely sighed. "Why do I even bother?"

"Because you love us." Calleigh replied, earning an eye roll from the former Marine.

There was a short pause.

"So should I get to it then?" Urd asked from her position floating lazily around the screen.

Jonathan sighed. There was no way around doing it if his old military contacts couldn't get them in. Even so, it being a civilian-run test center for experimental weapons didn't mean their security would be lax. He gained nothing by not giving the go ahead and stood to gain much needed knowledge about them if he did. And in advance no less. Strategically, it was a risk should Urd get caught and it was backtracked. Tactically, it was acceptable. Besides, Urd had only ever been caught once and even then had managed to avoid being traced.

He looked up from his glass of juice. "Alright, start working on a way in. Do not. I repeat DO NOT get caught. Log everything you do, see, and or hear on the secured server as well as everything you find. Belldandy!"

"You got it!" Urd squealed with joy.

A moment later the other AI showed up.

"Yes Jonathan?"

"Get in contact with Colonel MacKenzie at JAG. We're going to need her help. Also contact Major Allen, he's my former CO with the scout snipers. Tell him Captain Edrins is calling in a favor." He rattled off as he stood up, finishing his orange juice.

"As you wish." She replied before setting off to make the necessary calls.

"Computer, call Lt. Caine, cell phone."

"_****Dialing Horatio Caine****_" came the automated reply.

"Caine."

"Lieutenant, it's Jonathan."

"Mr. Edrins, how are you feeling?"

"Like death warmed over. Listen, Calleigh and Natalia have informed me on the troubles you're having getting into EM Enterprises." He replied, "I need you to get over to my house as soon as possible. We have many things to discuss."

"Indeed we do. Eric and Ryan have also got profiles on our other two victims. It seems we're in deeper than just a triple homicide."

"I see. The three of us will be waiting for you then."

"I'm on my way now." Horatio replied before hanging up.

Thirty minutes later saw the three CSIs and their superior gathered in the living room of Jonathan's house.

"I figured there were a few things you were leaving out of your report Mrs. DuVista." Horatio smiled.

He had just been introduced to the real Belldandy and her 'sisters.'

"I've penetrated their firewall and bypassed their anti-spyware and intrusion detection programs." Urd broke in, appearing on the coffee table monitor. "Transferring to view screen now."

The screen dropped down from its place in the ceiling and soon displayed camera views, security data, shift schedules, names, ranks, project and test files, you name it, it was there. Everything was accessible.

"Incredible." Horatio commented.

"Thank you! Glad to know somebody appreciates what I can do." Urd grinned at the Lieutenant.

"Have you been detected?"

"Not unless they find out that I'm not really one of their back-up servers. I've disguised myself as a part of their own system, giving them limited access to my own storage in exchange for freedom to roam around their entire company's cybernet."

"Good work." Jonathan replied.

"Jonathan, you have an incoming call. Tracer identifies it as Major William Allen, video phone." Belldandy appeared on one of the end table monitors.

"Route it through to the living room Bell."

A new window appeared on the view screen and a well-built, clean cut man in dress browns, decorated with quite a few medals, and a few noticeable gray hairs came into view.

"Major Allen, Captain Edrins checking in, sir!" Jonathan gave his former CO a salute which was promptly returned.

"Captain. I must say I was wondering when we would be speaking again."

"Yes, sir. Forgive my current apparel sir but I wasn't feeling well."

The older Marine laughed, "No worries, Jonathan. Tell me, who are your guests and perhaps what it is I could do for you?"

"Major Allen, this is my current CO, Lt. Horatio Caine of the Miami-Dade Crime Lab. This is Calleigh DuVista, our ballistics expert and her wife Natalia DuVista, our senior DNA specialist."

"A pleasure to meet you."

"And you as well." The three CSIs replied.

"Now that we know each other, let's dispense with the pleasantries and get to work."

"Yes sir. Forty eight hours ago there was a triple homicide two point two miles north of a research and test facility owned by EM Enterprises. We recovered three metal slugs from the scene. Due to lack of GSR and any chemical trace, we eventually discovered them to be magnetized. This led to me realizing they were fired from some form of electromagnetic railgun or rail rifle, subsequently leading us to EME. We've obtained a search warrant but the military guards posted at the entrances are barring us from entering without proper _Federal _government authorization."

"And you'd like my help with getting in?"

"Yes. The guards are apparently Marine Special Forces, unit patch on the arm displayed the Grecian letters Delta Omega."

A frown flashed a brief second on the Major's face.

"Never heard of them."

A low growl sounded in Jonathan's chest, his face drawing down into a frown.

"Really? Then how is it that a former civilian contractor, who worked for the USMC two decades ago, specifically with the scout sniper program, wound up on a metal table in our morgue with 90% of his head blown into pieces no bigger than a contact lens?" his voice had dropped low and even, his tone menacing. "Or that the man and woman lying next to him have basketball sized holes through their chests nearly severing their bodies in two? Add the fact that the man was identified as Master Sergeant Nathaniel Boone, a scout sniper who was a member of your unit two years ago? If that isn't enough Major, I'd be happy to describe to you the husband and three children of Kendra Moonridge, a technician under the employ of EME and stationed at their test facility who will no longer be tucking those kids into bed at night or telling her husband she loves him-"

"ENOUGH!" shouted the Major, making the two female CSIs jump and even getting Horatio to flinch.

"You told me you would do anything to repay me after what we went through during that last mission. The one that I vowed was the last one I would ever do? The one _you_ asked me to join you on? Claimed you couldn't do without me? You and the rest of your men would have been dead ten times over if it hadn't of been for me."

"I haven't forgotten, Captain! You needn't remind me!"

"Then help me get retribution for Kendra, Nathaniel, and Brian. Get us inside that facility!" Jonathan roared back, startling his coworkers who had never heard him raise his voice before.

There was a pause as the two men stared at each other.

"Major, I have the utmost respect for you, but I will go over you if I can't go through you. Belldandy is contacting Colonel MacKenzie at JAG." Jonathan continued, "Sir, for the sake of your men and your own career, get us in there."

"Alright. I'll get it authorized immediately, but only for you and one other officer. I can't give you any more than that." The major relented.

"That's all we'll need."

"Also, knowledge of anything you see or hear while in that lab stays confidential insofar as it is not made public knowledge. America's enemies have eyes and ears everywhere. Is that understood?"

"Yes sir."

"Make your decision now as to who you'll be taking. I will arrange for a uniform, medals, and papers to be drawn up."

"Why? Can't we just go in normally?" Natalia asked.

"The weapons development areas are off limits to civilians that do not work for EME regardless of your position in law enforcement. In truth, I've had a suspicion about that place ever since I was given command over it as well as my unit a year ago. Something isn't right and I'm hoping that by helping you, you can help me." Major Allen replied.

"We'll do what we can, sir." Jonathan stated before turning to the blonde ballistics expert. "Your knowledge of firearms will allow you to blend in better than anyone else we've got other than myself. I'd be honored to have you with me."

"Surely Ryan or Eric would be better off-" Natalia started to protest.

"Natalia, Jonathan is right. It's Calleigh or no one." Horatio said calmly.

"But we don't know what could happen in there." Natalia countered before a pair of familiar hands cupped her cheeks, tilting her head down to look into charged green eyes.

"Talia, babe I'll be fine. It's just a short undercover mission to gather evidence." Calleigh tried to reassure her wife.

They both knew that the brunette was still wary from the whole Jethro incident.

"Mrs. DuVista, trust me when I say that there is no man or woman on this earth more worthy or more capable of protecting Calleigh than Captain Edrins." The Major stated.

"Natalia."

The brunette turned and looked toward the man who had become close to her and Calleigh in such a short time despite his distant nature. She stared as he dropped to a knee in front of her, head bowed as he voiced himself.

"I vow upon my honor that I will protect Calleigh DuVista from harm. Only upon pain of death shall I fail. In my blood I swear this word of protection."

"You think this is some sort of joke, Jonathan? Some sort of game?" she hissed but was cut off as the man's head snapped up to look at her.

"On the contrary. This is dead serious. My word is my bond and I shall not break it." His eyes narrowed, "For anyone or anything."

"He won't either. To the point of insubordination." Voiced the Major.

"You swear it?" Natalia asked, her tone threatening.

"To the death." Came the immediate reply.

"Jonathan, you have another incoming call over video phone. Tracer program identifies it as Lt. Colonel Sarah MacKenzie calling from JAG." Belldandy's voice interrupted.

Natalia nodded to Jonathan who rose from the floor

"Patch her through, conference mode." The monitor shifted to show a woman in dress browns.

"Captain Edrins, I must say I'm surprised to be hearing from one such as you."

"Yes ma'am. I apologize but it seems we may not be needing your help after all. Major Allen has agreed to assist us."

"Very well, I'll leave you and the Major to it then." She replied.

"Yes ma'am. Have a good night."

"Good night, Captain. You too Major."

"Good night Colonel."

The JAG officer cut her transmission, her screen going blank.

"Alright, I'll need Detective DuVista's measurements and her file so I can authorize a 'transfer' to Jonathan's command he is being given." Major Allen said, turning to his computer.

"Hang on just a second, sir. Belldandy, please scan Calleigh DuVista, height, weight, and measurement parameters. Forward information to Major William Allen."

"Scanning… calculating variables… applying measurement algorithm… scan complete. Uploading file information to Major Allen. Uploading personnel file. Uploads complete, Major. They should be in your computer now." The CGI woman stated.

"Thank you Bell." Jonathan replied.

"I have the files. I'll have the uniform and papers to your crime lab by 4am tomorrow morning Lt Caine."

"We appreciate the help Major Allen."

"Just find out what the blazes is going on in that R&D facility. And who killed Boone…he was a good man." The Major frowned.

"I have every intention to do so, Major. We'll stay in touch and keep you posted on what we find."

"Thank you Lieutenant."

"I'll report back to you tomorrow evening, sir." Jonathan stated.

"Very well Captain. Welcome back from retirement, even if it is temporary."

"Thank you sir."

"Major Allen, out." He nodded before ending the call.

Calleigh turned to the others as she spoke, "Well it's getting late. Talia and I should head home."

"Good night you two. See you tomorrow." Horatio said.

"Good night Horatio." They replied moving toward the door. "Night Jonathan."

Jonathan merely nodded. The DuVista women left, closing the front door behind them as the Marine sniper turned to face his CO. "Urd, transfer your work to the garage. Belldandy go with her please and assist her any way you can. I'd like a moment alone with the lieutenant."

"As you wish." The AI sisters replied, shutting down the screens and retracting the view screen before disappearing.

There was a pause before Jonathan turned away from Horatio's gaze. It sickened him to sense the slight disappointment in his commanding officer.

"I know I owe you an explanation, Lieutenant, and my justification is the same as what I told Calleigh and Natalia. The reason that Belldandy, Urd, and Skuld are a secret is because none of us want the publicity that would come if knowledge of their existence was released to the world. The goddesses respect my desire for privacy and in turn I protect their existence as best I can."

"How so?"

"Imagine what the government and the military would do to them if they somehow got their hands upon the Yggdrasil coding upon which the Goddesses function."

There was a pause as Horatio pondered the statement. Then the realization dawned on him, his eyes narrowing as he spoke.

"They could be manipulated into weapons of war."

"Exactly."

"Well it seems as though your secrecy is justified then. However, our line of work is dangerous. What would happen to the three AIs in the event something were to happen to you?"

"That has been taken care of, with consideration also taken in so far as to the programs' wishes as to their fate. I know that Urd had expressed a desire to work for the Miami-Dade Crime Lab, should you approve."

"She would be a welcome addition but if something were to happen to you, how would we get Urd transported to the Lab and operational?" Horatio questioned as he followed his CSI out onto the backyard patio.

"That will also be taken care of by a few of my friends I know who have knowledge of computer systems."

"Seems like you have every angle covered, Mr. Edrins." The CSI Lieutenant favored the marine with one of his sideways looks.

"Oh how I wish that were true, Lieutenant. How I wish that were true." Came the reply.

Horatio watched his CSI walk over to the patio door and open it, indicating for Horatio to follow him. They walked outside onto the deck, the sandy-red haired lieutenant closing the door behind him. He turned and watched as Jonathan moved over toward the deck railing and leaned on it, gazing up at the sky which was quickly fading to black. A few pinpricks of light managed to cut through the light pollution let off by the glow of Miami. There was a somewhat long silence before it was broken.

"Might I ask you a question, Lieutenant?"

"I'm listening."

"Do you believe that humans are alone in the universe?"

The question gave Horatio pause. He hadn't expected something like that to come from the marine's mouth. He too looked up at the sky, noticing the stars beginning to appear and the waxing crescent moon that hung low in the sky.

"What makes you ask that?" Horatio countered.

"No reason. Merely to hear your opinion."

Horatio took a breath in, slowly releasing it as he considered the question.

"I would like to believe that there is life out their somewhere. I know that the galaxy is too big mathematically for us to be the only sentient beings in it, let alone the universe. It merely comes down to a matter of finding them." He paused. "And if they do exists and are as advanced as or more advanced than us I hope that they may have found a way to exist without the need or desire to hurt one another. That things like poverty, violence, war, starvation, and famine have no meaning to them."

Another pause passed as Horatio waited for a response.

"One could only hope." Was Jonathan's only reply before returning inside, Horatio following behind him. "Belldandy will see you out. Good evening, Lieutenant. Drive safely."

Jonathan disappeared into the garage, leaving Horatio alone to ponder the rather odd question. His police instinct told him there was more to that inquiry than the reason originally given but he merely stored it away for later. His instinct was rarely ever wrong.

"Mr. Caine?" came a voice from the house.

"Yes? It's Belldandy right?"

A monitor on the kitchen bar activated, displaying the sandy haired CG woman. Horatio walked over to it, fiddling with his glasses.

"It is. Jonathan had asked me to see you out."

"So he did." Horatio smiled as he moved toward the front door.

A click was heard as the door lock was released. Horatio stepped out, closing the door behind him. Another faint click was heard as the lock slipped back into place. The monitor came to life outside, Belldandy appearing on it to speak with him.

"Mr. Caine, before you go there is something I wish to ask you."

The lieutenant paused as he looked sideways at the screen. "Yes?"

"Jonathan doesn't need to know of this, but I would like you to look after him. My sisters and I do the best we can and I know he is grateful for our company and companionship. But we can only do so much. We are no replacement for flesh and blood. All three of us realize this. Even with Calleigh and Natalia whom he has grown close to, he seems to hold them at arms length." She stated. "Can you please do this for us?"

"I will do what I can to look after him." Horatio promised, "Is there any family or next-of-kin I could talk to? None were listed in his personnel file."

At this question the CG woman's face saddened.

"Jonathan has no family. They all died long ago."

Horatio's brow furrowed at this information even as the AI continued to speak.

"Thank you for doing this for my sisters and I. Have a good night and please drive home safely."

With that the monitor went blank. Horatio turned around and walked out to his champagne colored Hummer as Belldandy's words seemed to echo in his head. '_Jonathan has no family._' Most officers in the line of work Horatio did had reasons for doing it. Most of, if not all of his team, had backgrounds and or history they kept secret from their co-workers no matter the amount of trust placed in them. Horatio's mind continued to think of reasons why his newest CSI would be without family even as he started his Hummer and made his way home. Over time many of them had confided in him, placing their trust in him that he would be there to lean on when things got hard. He had never betrayed that trust. It had taken years for Calleigh to open up to him, and he in return shared with her some of his past even though there was still much that he kept hidden. But then again, even he had family left. Blood relatives he could spend time with. There was also his dead brother's widow, Yelina, with whom he shared a mutual attraction; however neither of them had ever acted upon it. He knew that Eric and Ryan both had family. So did Alexx, and Frank did as well. Out of all of them, Calleigh and Natalia probably had the largest combined extended family ever since they had gotten married. But Jonathan…

Jonathan, who was still so young, and who had probably seen more horrors during his time in the Marine Corp than the rest of them combined, had no one.

No living blood relative. No relation by marriage. No wife or girlfriend. Nothing. Aside from the three artificial intelligences he had met tonight, Horatio didn't think it possible to be utterly alone. He would have to do some digging tomorrow through public records. There just had to be someone still alive that Jonathan had.

* * *

The next morning saw Calleigh and Natalia up way earlier than usual. It wasn't everyday one's wife went to work and put on Marine dress browns. They took a shower together, making a little use of their spare time that morning for a thorough 'washing' of each other. They got out and dried each other off before getting dressed again. Making breakfast together was something they had taken to doing a lot of recently and they were in the middle of eating when the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it." Natalia said, standing up.

She kissed her wife's head as she passed on her way out of the kitchen. Making her way to the front door she opened it to reveal Jonathan already in uniform.

"Jonathan. What're you doing here?"

"I stopped by the lab already to pick up the uniform for Calleigh." He replied, handing the Italian woman a dress bag. "Have her get dressed. When she's finished let me know. I'll have to put the medals and ribbons on for her to make sure they're situated properly."

"Right. Come on in, have a seat. We were just finishing up breakfast."

Natalia led the Marine in, shutting the door behind him as he made his way into the living room.

"Did you want a glass of orange juice or something?"

"No thank you." Came the short reply.

Just then Calleigh came out of the kitchen. She reached for the bag as Jonathan handed it to her.

"Be efficient." Was his only statement before moving to wait on the couch.

Calleigh looked at Natalia, who merely shrugged, before moving back to the bedroom to get changed. Natalia followed, stopping only to take a quick glance into the kitchen and seeing that Calleigh had already finished her breakfast. A small pang of hurt flashed through her as she continued on down the hall and into the bedroom. She was careful to mask her face though, to keep Calleigh from worrying. This was the first breakfast they had had since they had moved in together that they had not finished together.

To Natalia, on the day of an undercover mission, that was a bad omen.

* * *

"So what's our cover again?" Calleigh asked, wanting to go over it once more.

The blonde CSI was currently riding shotgun in Jonathan's Silverado on their way to EM Enterprises R&D facility. The day was bright and sunny, a few wispy cirrus clouds played high in the Miami skies. Traffic was light that morning and the former Marine easily moved through the few vehicles on the road with them.

"You're a weapons specialist in my squad. Major Allen has sent us here to check on what they're working on as well as to test any model weapon we wish." Jonathan replied as they cruised down the streets. "And you'd best learn fast to defer to my rank and anyone ranked above you."

"How will I know who's what?"

"By paying attention. Open your suitcase. There's a cheat sheet in there of rank insignias we're likely to come across. Don't bother with anyone higher than a Major or anything lower than a 1st Lieutenant." Jonathan replied, "The suitcase contains the search warrant as well as a hidden field kit inside a false bottom. It's only enough to take a few small samples though. Your camera is in your ribbon strip. Press the second button on your right wrist cuff to snap the shutter."

"Whoa whoa whoa. What are you going to be doing?"

"I'm your immediate C.O. I can't do anything or it will show I don't trust those under my command." He replied. "Add to that, I'm not too keen on walking in there with zero knowledge on who that Delta Omega unit is. You have to remember, Calleigh, you're in the Marine Corp now."

"You think they'll do something to stop us?"

"They can try." Was all the response he gave.

Something in the tone of his voice and the slight twitch of his lips sent a cool shiver down Calleigh's spine. She knew full well her colleague's skill with the gun far outpaced her own. And that was something considering she was no slouch herself. A small voice in her mind wondered exactly what it was she was getting into.

*_FLASHBACK*_

_The sound of gunfire rung out over the shooting range. The day was calm, the sky dotted with a few clouds here and there. Calleigh and Natalia were at the range Ryan still occasionally worked at, popping away at paper targets at varying distances. Well, Calleigh was doing most of the shooting, Natalia was too busy watching her wife to score any decent hits on her own paper perps. Ryan was busy loading clips at a table behind the shooting boxes for the girls. A familiar white Silverado pulled up, parking next to Calleigh's Crossfire._

_Natalia looked over and watched as the new CSI Horatio was helping to investigate stepped out. She noticed the two holsters strapped to his thighs and looked on as he pulled a long rifle case out of his truck._

"_Don't look now guys, but we have company." Natalia motioned to Calleigh and Ryan who both turned and looked._

_The former Marine would be a fool to not notice the attention. He had only been in Miami for two weeks and in that time had solved every case thrown his way, no matter the severity. Eight people were behind bars and two more buried six feet under, one of which a serial rapist who had foolishly pulled a gun on the sniper. He had dropped to the ground a second later as Jonathan's .50 caliber bullet buried itself between the rapist's eyes. The fallout from that particular shot had been immense until a missing woman had been found barely alive and chained up in a shack with two hundred pounds of hi-explosive rigged along the walls of the building on a remote property owned by the perp. Jonathan had recognized the long-range detonator found in the rapist's pocket and had traced the radio signal back to the property. Rumor had it he was still trying to figure out what a rapist was doing with a kidnapped woman and a quarter-ton of ANFO explosives._

_Horatio had recommended this shooting range to Jonathan when he had asked about a place to practice, saying it was owned by an old friend of Calleigh's. And so, having nothing better to do, he packed up his pistols and his M24 along with a couple hundred rounds of ammunition and headed for the range._

_As he walked up to the firing boxes he ignored the looks he was getting from his new co-workers. His face remained impassive if not slightly annoyed. Settling into the box next to Calleigh he retrieved a few paper targets for use later before pulling out an odd black box. Naturally, Calleigh's curiosity got the better of her._

"_What's that?" she asked._

_Jonathan merely spared her a glance before pressing a small button. The box unfolded into a miniature computer, its laser keyboard projecting onto a black plastic pad._

"_BRCM. Ballistics Range Computer Module." He responded, typing in a few commands. "Initiate target scan: metal, wood, paper."_

_The box beeped twice and began to hum softly, surprising Calleigh before she had a chance to ask about his statement. A black dome on the top part rotated slowly back and forth. It beeped again and the monitor changed. Jonathan punched a few keys before drawing his guns. By this time Calleigh had moved behind him to get a better look at the computer. A grid criss-crossed a close up view of three targets, one of which's window was highlighted green._

"_***Target locked***__" the machine's screen displayed._

_Jonathan slid a clip into one of his Eagles, setting the other on the booth stand. Calleigh watched in amazement as the screen displayed a read-out on the Eagle. Everything right down to temperature spread across the gun and ammunition as well as spring tensions and slide resistances._

"_***Load cartridge***__" she jumped slightly at the voice that sounded from the computer._

_Jonathan's thumb depressed the slide lock, the slide slamming forward with a loud click. He reached up with his left hand, pulling the slide back quickly and releasing it once again to chamber a round._

"_***Clear your guns***__" the voice toned again._

_Jonathan stepped into a side-shooting stance, holding the pistol in his right hand. He no more than raised his arm before he pulled the trigger, squeezing off the round, not even time enough to aim. The loud boom tore across the small range as the few other shooters turned to look. Natalia and Ryan both winced, their hands flying to cover their ears albeit too late. Calleigh was fortunate enough to have still had her ear guards on. She noticed the screen on the BRCM change to show statistics, too many really for Calleigh to recognize except for windage, trajectory, speed, and impact location._

"_A little warning next time?" Ryan said, more than slightly irritated and rubbing one of his ears._

_The former Marine spared him a glance before turning back to his computer display to study the readouts._

'_His arm didn't so much as flinch from the recoil.' Calleigh's mind whispered. 'That's physically impossible.'_

"_Did you need something Mrs. DuVista?" came a steely voice.__ "Calleigh?"_

_*END FLASHBACK*_

"Calleigh? Calleigh!"

"Hm? Oh, what?" the blonde ballistics expert was broken out of her memory.

"You need to focus. We're almost there." Jonathan stated.

"Right."

She put the sheet of paper back into the suitcase, hiding it away inside a hidden slot. She ran through the supplies she had in the concealed field kit inside, mentally cataloging everything that was contained in it. Swabs, evidence bags, processing chemical kits, mini UV light, tweezers, a few sets of latex gloves. Sighing slightly, she closed the false bottom over the kit before shutting and latching the briefcase and setting it on the floor between her feet.

"Belldandy. Activate tracers, stealth tracking only." Jonathan spoke.

The AI in question appeared on the thinscreen display mounted on the center console between the two CSIs.

"Tracers activated, VSMs online. Synchronizing with Urd…synchronization complete, you're clear to go." She replied before the screen powered off.

"How did you-?"

"It's a long story." Jonathan cut her off. His eyes narrowed as he saw their target building coming up. "Look alive."

The white Silverado pulled off the road into a short driveway, stopping at a guard shack, their entrance barred by a heavy gate arm. Jonathan rolled his window down and address the sergeant-at-arms as he came out of the shack toward the truck.

"Captain Jonathan Edrins, Lieutenant Calleigh Duquesne. We're here on behalf of Major Allen to inspect the new prototypes." He stated firmly, returning the salute from the sergeant.

He handed the guard their papers and showed him their ID cards. The sergeant looked back and forth between the two undercover CSIs and the papers a couple of times before handing the ID cards back to Jonathan.

"Just a moment, sir." He replied before returning back into the guard shack.

Jonathan watched as the guard conferred with the other sergeant who looked between the papers and the white truck sitting calmly at the gate. The first guard picked up a phone and began to dial a number in as he kept an eye on the two CSIs. A soft beep was heard in the cab of the Silverado followed by the thinscreen display activating. Jonathan and Calleigh glanced down to see a message appear:

********CONFIRMATION REQUESTED OF INSPECTION ORDERS._**

**INTERCEPTING…_**

**AUTHORIZATION GRANTED. TRANSMITTING CONFIRMATION CODE…_**

**TRANSMISSION COMPLETE._**

**-URD_****

The two CSIs looked back up just in time to see the first sergeant just getting off the phone with someone. He made his way back out of the shack and walked over to the Silverado. He handed the papers back to Jonathan.

"Clear to go, sir." The Marine saluted to which he and Calleigh returned.

The other guard moved out to a control box and pressed two buttons, lifting the gate. Jonathan drove into the compound parking lot. As he found a parking space, the monitor again flashed a message:

****SECURITY SYSTEMS ACCESSED._**

**MONITORING PROTOCOLS ENGAGED._**

**-URD_****

"Glad to know we won't be alone." Calleigh commented as she undid her seat belt.

"If anything goes wrong, Major Allen will know immediately and we'll have the entire 501st Battalion in here in less than ten minutes. It's all been arranged." Jonathan stated, putting on his officer's cap before turning to adjust the beret on Calleigh's head.

"Won't they be stopped at the gate?"

"If those two sergeants-at-arms, their little ramshackle hut, and that puny gate can stop the M1A2s and M2A3s of the 501st then we don't deserve to be here. Let's get moving." He replied with a somewhat sadistic grin.

As he opened the door and stepped out, Calleigh followed suit. She settled into stride next to him as they walked toward the front of the large building. The blond ballistics expert's heart was racing, a sound which Jonathan's abilities picked up on instantly. Reaching out with his power, he slowly clenched his left hand into a fist.

"Easy, Lieutenant. Control your emotions, lest they control you." He said under his breath so that only Calleigh could hear.

He forced her heartbeat to slow down and her breathing to even out, without her knowledge. It wasn't something he prided himself for being able to do, but for some reason, the normally imperturbable woman beside him was decidedly anxious. He was tempted to use his power to scan her mind via her blood and decipher what it was that was getting to Calleigh but he knew he didn't have time. And even if he did, it would have to be a dire situation indeed for him to break his own rules about doing such a thing without consent first. He was already bending them quite a bit by suppressing her agitation.

Calleigh, for her part, visibly relaxed as she felt her runaway heart and lungs calm immediately. However a small tingling in the back of her mind warned her of something. Over the years she had learned to trust that small tingling. It had quite often saved her very life and had never steered her awry. Something was wrong, she could feel it, she just didn't know what it was. Taking in a deep breath and slowly letting it back out, she responded to Jonathan's friendly advice.

"I'm okay now. Thanks."

"Don't be so casual, Lieutenant." Jonathan reminded her as they neared the building entrance.

"Yes, Captain." Calleigh replied, settling into her role.

Focused as she was though, the tingling refused to leave.

The two undercover CSIs showed their IDs to the guards at the door, returning their salutes as they passed. Entering into the lobby, the air-conditioned atmosphere offered much needed relief from the heat of the morning outside. A civilian secretary sat at a desk, the only other person in sight. The two walked over to her desk.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"Captain Jonathan Edrins, this is my lieutenant, Calleigh Duquesne. We're here under orders from Major Allen."

"Just a moment please." The secretary replied.

She turned to what appeared to be an intercom. Pressing a button, she waited.

"Yes?" came the detached voice of a male.

"Major, there's a Captain Edrins and a Lieutenant Duquesne here on behalf of Major Allen."

"On my way."

The secretary pushed the button again and turned back to the two officers. "Major Mitchell will be out shortly."

"Thank you, ma'am." Calleigh replied.

The two CSIs turned to take a seat on a bench against the wall. They didn't wait very long as a side door opened and a foreboding man in uniform stepped through. The African-American was stockily built, at least 300 pounds and from his looks, all of it was solid muscle indicating he was probably trained in some sort of hand-to-hand combat or MMA. At a solid height of 6 foot 8 inches, he was taller than even Jonathan. Dark brown eyes appeared almost black, his face was set in a scowl as though he had been interrupted from some important task. Jonathan and Calleigh immediately stood at attention, saluting crisply. A stiff but quick salute back greeted them. Although he had seen much in his time and this puny display before him didn't scare him, Jonathan immediately went on the defensive.

"Captain, Lieutenant. To what do I owe the… pleasure?" the Major's voice was even more arrogant and haughty than Calleigh had previously assumed when she had heard him over the intercom. The tingling in her mind increased but she bore down on it with her focus on the mission.

"We're here to inspect the new rifles that Major Allen told us you had managed to get consistent, successful test fires from."

"It was my understanding that inspection wasn't for another two weeks." Mitchell snapped back instantly.

"He accelerated the plans, Major. It's my understanding that he is ultimately in charge of this facility. Am I wrong in that assessment, sir?" Jonathan calmly replied. He had faced down far more and far worse things in his long life to allow this sniveling, power-hungry ass bag intimidating them and risking their mission.

"Your tone notwithstanding, _Captain_, you are correct." His emphasis on his superiority further served to irritate the Marine sniper. "Both of you follow me."

The major turned on his heel and headed back the way he had come.

"I must admit, I didn't think the Major had the initiative for this project. There were those of us that were beginning to doubt he was the man for the job. He's rather lucky. Perhaps he's coming around."

Jonathan decided he didn't much care for this conversation. Calleigh spoke up, however, before he had time to respond.

"If I might ask sir, coming around to what exactly?"

Jonathan shot her a look but quickly schooled his face as Mitchell stopped and turned.

"Our way of thinking, Lieutenant. Who exactly are you, anyway? I've not heard of anything regarding you."

"She's one of my former Academy classmates from the corp. Weapons expert. If it uses a bullet, she can tell you just about everything you need to know dealing with a firearm."

"I did not ask you Captain."

"I transferred to Captain Edrins' squad a few weeks ago. It was a request I made when I found out where he had wound up. We were close during our Academy days."

"I'm sure." Mitchell growled, his eyes raking up and down her lean blonde figure concealed in the uniform.

"Do you have a problem, Major?" she asked.

"None what-so-ever."

"Then I suggest we keep moving."

To anyone else, the tone would have been neutral at best. To Jonathan, who had worked with the woman for the past eight months could easily sense the hidden threat in the cool voice. Mitchell was lucky Jonathan hadn't ripped out his eyes for looking at Calleigh like that. The man in question had already started moving back down the halls.

"Either way, scuttlebutt going around says the Delta Omega company has already authorized the purchase of several of our latest models that we have had...great...success with." Mitchell stopped by a set of double doors. "Colonel Cedon is looking forward to their delivery."

The name struck a chord in Jonathan. One he didn't much care for.

"Cedon?"

"Yes, you know him?"

"What's his first name? The last sounds familiar."

"No one knows. First initial is O though. Colonel O. Cedon."

And that was when he knew they were in far deeper than what he had anticipated.

"I see." Jonathan's reply was short.

His entire being was now solidly focused on protecting the woman beside him at all cost. If Ocedon was here then it did not bode well for either of them. Unfortunately he could not abort the mission as they were already in too deep. The major and Calleigh noticed none of this however as Mitchell opened the doors and walked out into a large open lab. Equipment and tools of all sorts were all around them on desks and benches as scientists worked feverishly. A walkway around the room served as upper level access to the second floor. The whole room was very open, Jonathan noted, without many places to hide or take cover. He was thankful he had concealed his second Eagle within his uniform jacket. He would protect Calleigh, even if it meant silencing everyone in this facility to do so.

"You are free to test the few prototypes we have currently operational. Dr. Raymond will answer any technical questions you may have." Major Mitchell replied as he pointed out an approaching scientist. "I must return to my duties. check in with the receptionist before you leave."

As the major stalked off, Jonathan took a moment to note the room configuration. He memorized the locations of the guards, the exits and entrances, and suitable places for cover. To some dismay, the former two seemed to be fairly numerous while the latter was practically non-existent. His hand casually drifted down to rest against his sidearm as he took note of the scientist coming toward them from the other side of the large room.

"It's all you from here on out Calleigh. But be on your guard, something is most definitely wrong here." Jonathan warned in a low voice.

Before the CSI could respond, Dr. Raymond came up to them.

"Captain, Lieutenant. Welcome to EM Enterprises' testing facility. I'm Dr. Anita Raymond."

The slender redheaded woman offered her hand to Jonathan whom took it firmly. He could feel her fear of him.

'_Good. Let her squirm._' He thought.

"We'd like to see the rail rifle your lab tested a few days ago." Calleigh spoke.

"Which one? There were several tested over the past week."

"Slug parameters one inch wide by four and three-quarters inches long."

"One by four and three quarters..." the doctor said to herself a few times as she accessed a nearby computer terminal.

Jonathan took note of her pass code she used in conjunction with her ID card to gain access. Anita was completely unaware of this as she scrolled through the test schedule. After a few minutes she found the entry.

"Here it is. Codenamed: Mercury; test number 3071; slug size 2.54cm by 12.065cm; theoretical muzzle velocity at max power calculated at 8200 feet per second; velocity at time of test: 8936 feet per second. Power for the test was supplied by two of our generators, for an input power of 2600 kilowatts. Target penetration was designated through-and-through. The slug buried itself almost twenty-five yards into our stop-barrier."

"What's the barrier made of?"

"Dirt mixed with coarse sand. Layered 60 feet back from that is a 30 foot deep wall of three quarter inch gravel mixed with fine sand. Third layer is steel-rebar reinforced cinder blocks filled with concrete which is another 30 feet deep. Sandwiched between the blocks are two inch thick titanium-steel composite alloy armor plates." She replied. "The stop barrier is well over 35 feet high."

"Impressive." Jonathan muttered.

"We pride ourselves on taking every precaution necessary to prevent shots from going out to sea."

"Out to sea?" Calleigh asked as she studied the test figures on the display.

"Yes. The stop barrier's rear faces the sea. We don't want to risk any stray shots from tests flying into Miami and injuring or killing someone. Rumors are already going around that the Marine Corp generals want to pull funding and shut us down."

"Why would they want to do that?" the blonde CSI inquired.

"Lieutenant, I'm not quite sure you understand the requirements for a ship-mounted railgun, let alone developing a hand held version of one." She replied, "Mercury already weighs in at 15 kilos and has to be connected via umbilical to our generators' testing grid to get power. And Mercury is one of the smaller weapon systems we have. The military has been less than impressed with our lack of progress over the last year. We've hit several problems, the major one being a power source small enough to give the results that the Marine Corp demands. Frankly ma'am, and with all due respect, the Corp is full of pretty ignorant people in command positions. What you guys are asking for is currently impossible."

Jonathan spoke up.

"What was Mercury's target at the time of the test?"

Anita looked over at him, an odd look on her face.

"A rig we built to do testing with that allows us to easily change what materials we want to use." She replied, turning back to the terminal and bringing up the attachment to the open file. "Mercury was tested against the ablative-reactive armor used on the military's M1A2 Abrams main battle tanks. It punched a six inch hole straight through the two inch armor plate even when it was angled at a 50 degree incline. The test slug was a tempered titanium-tungsten carbide jacketed round surrounding a high-carbon steel core."

"Which means that theoretically it could easily take out two Abrams tanks parked alongside each other and still be able to penetrate the side armor of a third." Jonathan mulled.

This type of railgun technology was standard use in the Federation starships. Thankfully though, as far as he knew, the humans were limited by their power sources. He was positive now about the so-called Colonel. Ocedon had somehow got his hands once again into military affairs. And that was not something Jonathan cared for at all considering what had happened in the past already. While Calleigh questioned Dr. Raymond further, he extended his power out to blanket more of the room. Perhaps there was more to the good doctor's fear of him than what he had first assumed. As more and more of the scientists were enveloped in Jonathan's senses, the fear he felt in all of them was the same; directed not only at himself and Calleigh, but to every soldier and guard watching them work.

He interrupted the two women.

"Dr. Raymond, do you have an office? Or somewhere we can go to speak with you in private?" he asked, "A place where the corn has no ears and the only things with sight are moles?"

The doctor looked puzzled for a moment before replying.

"I have an office, yes."

* * *

"Are you positive, sir?" the Major asked over the phone.

"Yes. My intel is accurate. You have your orders, Major. See that it's done and that this little problem is disposed of." Came a hard voice, "No mistakes. Collateral damage is acceptable."

There was a click as the other man hung up the phone. Major Mitchell's brow furrowed as he sat the receiver back on the phone hook. He was already having his doubts about the two Marines from the moment he met them. Captain Edrins he had heard of before and he wasn't too eager to be attempting to 'take him into custody,' but what the Colonel had said...and then there was his lieutenant. It would be a real shame to kill her without having a little fun first. Double checking his sidearm, he left his office motioning for guards to follow him. His orders were clear.

Captain Edrins and Lieutenant Duquesne were not to leave the facility alive.

* * *

Dr. Raymond had no more than answered his question when Jonathan's cell phone vibrated in his pocket before letting off a series of short and long beeps in a Morse code signal.

"What's that? Dr. Raymond asked as the Captain cursed under his breath.

He pulled the Droid out and looked at the screen as Calleigh's brow furrowed into a frown.

****VOICE TRANSMISSION INTERCEPTED._**

**CONDITION RED._**

**LETHAL FORCE HAS BEEN ORDERED FOR USE AGAINST_  
CAPTAIN EDRINS AND LIEUTENANT DUQUESNE._**

**FULL MISSION ABORT._**

**501****st**** ASSISTANCE INBOUND TO YOUR POSITION._**

**-URD_****

"Captain?" the doctor asked.

"Condition Red, Lieutenant."

"Condition red? What does that mean-" Anita was interrupted by Calleigh.

"What should we do?"

"Captain I demand to know what is going on!"

Jonathan didn't get time to respond to the doctor's demands nor Calleigh's worried question. At that moment, a wave of fear engulfed his senses from the other civilians in the room. Looking up he saw Major Mitchell speaking with some guards before one of them sprinted off around the upper room, pausing at each of the soldiers' posts. At that moment, an alarm klaxon was sounded. Then, almost in slow motion, all of Hell came breaking loose as the nightmare started to unfold.

"GET DOWN!" he shouted to the scientists.

A few heeded it immediately, most weren't so lucky.

A hurricane of gunfire echoed through the large room as the Delta Omega soldiers on the upper catwalk opened up on the two CSIs with their assault rifles. Several scientists were hit when they tried bolting for the exits, screaming as the bullets shredded through them, blood splattering around the room and joining the papers and equipment that was sent flying by stray shots. Some were killed instantly, others were wounded, many fatally. Dr. Raymond was hit several times in the back and legs as she dropped to the floor dead. Calleigh took two to the chest and several more to her arms, legs, and stomach as Jonathan's world collapsed inward. He watched in horror even as he felt the assault rifles' 7.62mm NATO rounds pounding into him all over. Calleigh hit the floor, her eyes wide with shock and looking pleadingly at Jonathan as he too succumbed to the onslaught. A ringing filled his ears, blocking out all sound, as she dropped to his knees and his eyes locked with Calleigh's, even as he tipped over, falling next to her.

His senses and power extended to her automatically. Adrenaline was released into her blood as he forced her heart to continue beating.

He couldn't fail...

Not again.

He felt the heavy thud of boot falls and someone kick him harshly in his side, rolling him over. He kept his eyes locked on the blonde CSI's gasping form lying next to him even as his power informed him of her rapidly fading life.

"They're still alive sir." Said the soldier who had kicked him.

Major Mitchell came into Jonathan's peripheral view.

"Good try Captain. But unfortunately, orders are orders. It's a shame to execute such a beautiful woman though without being able to give her a test drive first. However it must be done." And with that said, he aimed his pistol and fired a shot directly into Calleigh's heart. The shock of which reeled through his own senses as her life signs blinked out instantly.

"And now it's your turn." The Major said calmly as he aimed his weapon at Jonathan, who was struggling weakly to reach out with a bloody hand to the now still body of his friend.

'_No..._' he thought.

The shot came from the M1911 and he felt his head split apart as the Colt .45 tore through his brain, agony overpowering his senses. His hearing faded back in as he heard Mitchell issuing orders while he walked away.

'_No...'_

His heart thudded once in a massive pulse that echoed through his mind.

"No Major... It's your turn." Came a voice.

Soldiers stopped in their tracks as the Major froze. He turned slowly around as surprised shouts and some screams sounded out over the cries of the wounded. The alarm klaxons continued to blare in the background.

Jonathan's bullet riddled body made its way slowly up onto its feet, hunched slightly over.

"Wha-what the hell?"

"Your Master is watching, you know. He knew this would happen." Came the low, growling voice.

Already he had induced a paralyzing fear in every soldier in the room. And as he spoke, blood from everywhere in the lab bubbled and oozed across the floor, up and over his hunched and broken body, coating him in the thick viscous liquid and covering his wounds as his powers fully ignited within him.

"He ordered you and your men to your deaths. And it would be a shame to disappoint him. So I will entertain his folly and grant a vision of what is in store for him!"

"Open fire! Open fire!" the Major shouted as he raised his pistol and fired.

The shots broke the fear of many of the other soldiers who then too quickly reloaded and opened up again on the Marine Captain.

Jonathan's body, by now, was completely encased in dark red blood flowing over him like a liquid suit of armor. The bullets rained down upon him, but the blood merely absorbed them all. An evil laughter was heard as the gunfire ceased, the soldiers having emptied their magazines.

"Grant unto me wings of blood to return that which was taken!" Jonathan growled as two large wings flowed out from his back, spread wide open and made entirely of liquid blood. "You'll need more than bullets to kill me."

Jonathan's body righted itself, standing straight as he floated up into the air, drawing his guns. And amid the chaos and destruction, order was found. Twin beads of white light shone through his blood armor where his eyes were as he calmly raised his pistols, taking aim with his Third Eye.

The thunder of his guns rung out over the pops and cracks of rifle and assault weapon fire, his enemies having reloaded. Soldiers were shot clean through the heart or head, the cover that they took did nothing to protect them as Jonathan rotated slowly around, calmly pulling the triggers of his twin Eagles. Screams were heard amid the gunfire. Men were blown apart by his power-enhanced rounds. It took mere seconds before an eerie silence reigned over the room. Jonathan floated back to the ground, his armor and wings flowing sinister-like as if sensing something. Walking a few steps down the aisle, he gripped a workbench and heaved it through the air with ease, slamming it into the wall across the room.

A whimper and cry for mercy was heard as he found the now sniveling and cowering form of Major Mitchell.

"Mercy? MERCY?" a disembodied growl roared through the room. "I shall give you the same mercy you extended to US!"

Pinpoints of light appeared all over Jonathan's blood-coated body as his liquid armor seethed and churned with murderous fury. Every single round he received from the soldiers and Mitchell himself was brought to the forefront of his blood armor. A bright flash and massive crack resonated through the lab as hundreds of bullets shot out of him all at once. A large smear of blood and confetti-sized pieces of flesh and bone were all that remained of the Major. With only a few minutes before help would arrive, he knew Urd would keep watch over the lab. Jonathan turned and walked back to the still form of his friend as the blood armor coalesced into a ball, hovering over his upturned palm. The wings remained, however, and as the blood moved away from his body, his wounds he had suffered were non-existent.

The ball of blood was absorbed as a mist, flowing into him through his palm. He knelt next to Calleigh. Blood still seeped slowly from her wounds as her green eyes stared unmoving into the room.

Placing his open left hand into her growing pool of crimson life, he slowly waved his right over her in a deep scan assessing the damage done. And as the list of injuries began to pile up, he had to work harder than ever before to hold back the urge to break down in tears. Both lungs punctured, five shattered ribs, one fractured shoulder blade, ruptured liver, one punctured kidney, lacerated spleen, massive abdominal hemorrhaging, left radius and ulna both broken, shattered right wrist, broken femur, shattered ankle, internal blood reserves at less than three units, and to top it all off numerous severed arteries and veins in her arms, legs, and torso as well as a bullet hole straight through her heart. God in Heaven, how had he allowed this to happen to her?

The tears he had been straining so hard to hold back finally fell from his eyes as the reality hit him. Only one thing would save her now.

"Forgive me." He whispered as he picked up a stray shard of glass.

He carefully turned her left hand over and slit her wrist, opening a fresh wound clear to the artery. Working quickly he slit his right wrist and cut a rune into his left palm. Gripping Calleigh's upturned left forearm with his right hand, he pressed their wrists together. With his left hand he undid a few buttons on her coat and blouse, peeling the blood-soaked fabric out of the way before turning her head so that she stared unseeing up at him.

"Please forgive me." He whispered once more before pressing his bleeding left palm marked with the rune to Calleigh's chest, covering the bullet wound over her heart.

Using her blood as a conduit, his eyes turned red as his wings flared, seething angrily.

He forced his blood into her wound from his wrist even as his palm on her chest helped to pull it through. Jonathan's teeth clenched as his breathing became erratic. He could sense his blood flowing into her and he became more and more aware of her body. The corrupted essence in his blood bent to his will, repairing her heart's wound and sealing it. The sniper let loose a growl as Calleigh's memories began flowing into him as an unfortunate consequence of his current actions, a burning torture seeping through him.

'_I must not fail._' He thought, setting his focus.

He drove the corrupted essence deeper into her veins. He released another burst of adrenaline from her system. Pressing his palm harder into her chest, he forced her heart to start beating again. Jonathan's breathing evened out as he now had to supply oxygen for both of them. Pushing deeper still, he extended into her brain first to reverse what damage had been done due to oxygen starvation and to restart her nervous system. His eyes bore unshakingly down into her own green ones which suddenly blinked once. Twice. A gurgling breath was attempted but Jonathan stopped her with his power. Her left hand suddenly gripped his right forearm iron tight, nails digging into his flesh. Her weak struggles were of no consequence against his strength.

The adrenaline had flooded her heart, speeding up its rate and raising her blood pressure. His own blood raced out of his body and into hers at an alarming rate. He had to move fast or they both risked bleeding out. Sealing up her most critical wounds in her circulatory system to prevent her from hemorrhaging to death, he then focused on repairing her lungs and transferring her breathing back to her own power. Shouting and the low rumble of running feet reached Jonathan's senses. He had to move quickly. Major Allen's reinforcements from the 501st were in the building and securing it.

Calleigh took in deep, ragged breaths as soon as the sniper released his hold on her lungs, freeing them from his paralysis. She let out a cry of agony as the remainder of her wounds sent pain coursing through her body. Jonathan's wings flared again, his eyes flashing bright red as he released not only Calleigh's endorphins but some of his own as well into her bloodstream.

"Easy. I still need to tend to your internal injuries." He said, "Let your body float, your mind detach, and your consciousness drift away from this physical world."

His hypnotic effect got an immediate response; the blonde CSI's eyes drew blank and her struggles ceased as the hypnosis and endorphins calmed her. Her breathing leveled out and heartbeat gradually began to drop back down to normal. Extending his power almost completely into her, he began to repair her organs. He healed her ruptured liver and kidney then sealed up her lacerated spleen and the abdominal hemorrhaging. The open wounds she did have he left alone, along with her less severe broken bones. He heard shouts and men running even closer, so he quickly finished, breaking his left hand's link first on her chest. But when he went to break his right hand's link, Calleigh's hand refused to release. He felt a rush and a burning pain race through his back and down his arm. Calleigh's body seized up, convulsing as her eyes rolled back. Jonathan looked over his shoulder to discover that the wings were gone.

"Oh no..." his eyes grew wide as he turned back to her. "No. No no no no!"

Her body jerked and shuddered, straining weakly against the hand he put on her shoulder to try and keep her still. Her left hand refused to let go until he forcibly removed it, breaking the link violently.

"Calleigh!" He yelled. "Calleigh wake up!"

The doors burst open behind him, Major Allen, Lt. Caine, and Frank Tripp leading a squad of Marines into the lab. They all paused in shock at the sight of the lab and the bodies laying strewn about the room before them before Jonathan's frantic screams brought Horatio back.

"Medic! GET A MEDIC IN HERE NOW!" he shouted as he rushed forward with a few other Marines.

Jonathan's eyes had returned to normal as Marine medical officers swarmed around the fallen CSI but he had a very bad feeling inside that told him something he wished it didn't. The corrupted essence was now infecting Calleigh.

* * *

The heart monitor beeped steadily as the respirator ticked and hissed in a slow, repetitive beat. Natalia sat beside the bed upon which rested the motionless form of her wife, Calleigh. Her hands gently enfolded the blonde's right as she leaned close, whispering in her ear. She had been in the same position for more than three hours already after the confrontation with Jonathan in the waiting room, whispering the same few words to her.

"I love you. Come back to me."

Jonathan stood partially hidden in shadows against the far wall in the hallway outside the blonde CSI's room in the ICU, a dark and forlorn look upon his face.

'_You swore to protect her, Jonathan!_'

Pain welled up in his chest, his cheek still burned from Natalia's hand.

'_You swore on your life to defend her!_'

He noticed Horatio settle next to him out of the corner of his eye.

'_She's in a coma thanks to you and that damn mission! I told you to choose someone else!_'

'_She is still alive and will-_'

_A stinging crack broke through the hall as his head jerked to the right from Natalia's open palm as it struck him._

'_Not a word out of you Jonathan! Get out of my sight!_'

"I failed, Lieutenant." He spoke in a hushed tone, breaking himself out of the recent memory.

"What exactly happened in here?"

"Something alerted the C.O. of the unit there that we weren't who we said we were. We got the warning from Urd but not soon enough." Jonathan replied. "Instead of arresting us, the soldiers opened fire. We took cover best we could but she still took some hits."

He paused.

"There weren't any video surveillance cameras in the main lab. Major Allen has stated in no uncertain terms that he will be taking charge of the investigation and giving it to NCIS. Agent Gibbs and his team will be assigned to the task. Military was involved and so it's only understandable that they would want to do this."

"I don't agree with that, two of our people were nearly killed."

"It is the military and the Federal government, Lieutenant. We don't' have a choice." He replied, "These are people who won't be swayed by any connections you may have. However, Major Allen has assured me that they will keep us informed and up to date."

"Still, I would have liked to have kept it in the family."

"It's out of your hands, Lieutenant. And frankly, far out of my own as well."

"And how was it that you walked away without a scratch when by all accounts you should look like Swiss cheese?" Horatio questioned.

There was a long silence.

"By the will of the Devil himself." He replied, finally, before walking off.

* * *

Weeks passed. The investigation of the Delta Omega unit turned up that it wasn't even a real unit. Its mysterious commanding officer disappeared without a trace. Jonathan wasn't surprised when that information broke. Meanwhile Calleigh still lay in the hospital, seemingly trapped within a deep coma. Natalia had unfortunately had to return to work. She couldn't stay away forever, Horatio needed her and Calleigh would have wanted her to go. She still refused to talk with Jonathan any more than what was absolutely necessary. He also wasn't surprised at that either. He hated himself for what he had allowed to happen. And to top it all off, he had no idea when, if ever, Calleigh would awaken. For shortly after she had been committed to the hospital, he had snuck into her room alone one night and scanned her with his power, and in doing so had confirmed his fears.

Calleigh had been infected.

* * *

End chapter 2

_**DISCLAIMER:**_ I don't own CSI Miami or any of its characters. Jonathan and Ocedon are mine.

A/N – Credit to Wikipedia for helping me figure out how many soldiers were in a battalion. However, I am partially ignoring the fact that a battalion is usually commanded by a Lt. Colonel or a full Colonel. Major Allen is a special case.


End file.
